International

Israeli bombings throughout the Strip as tanks advance in Rafah

Aerial bombardments and Israeli artillery continue throughout the Gaza Strip on the 231 day of war, leaving dozens of civilians dead in the last few hours, most of them women and children.

Meanwhile, Hebrew tanks are advancing towards the center of the southern city of Rafah, as published this Friday by the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

In the north of the enclave, the Israeli Army maintains its operations in the Yabalia refugee camp where it claims, in a statement published this Friday, it has killed “dozens” of fighters in the last 24 hours and destroyed launch posts and tunnels.

“The troops also located numerous weapons, including explosive devices, mortar shells, AK-47 rifles, sniper rifles and others,” they add in the military statement.

For its part, Wafa reported the death of at least five civilians by an Israeli bombing of a house west of the Yabalia camp and reported that the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahia, north of the enclave and evacuated on May 21, continues to be the target of Israeli attacks.

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In the center of the Strip, the Israeli Army reported that they managed to “eliminate a terrorist cell” that fired at its soldiers in a joint attack by their air and ground forces.

Wafa denounces the “fire of dozens of projectiles” against neighborhoods of Gaza City by Hebrew troops.

And in the border city with Egypt, in Rafah, where yesterday Israel indicated that about one million people have already fled from there to the places they have called ‘humanitarian zones’, their tanks advance from the east to the center of the city.

“Israeli armored military vehicles advance from the eastern area of Rafah to the city center, on the outskirts of the Shaboura refugee camp, in the midst of bombings,” Wafa added.

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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.