International
Paramilitaries kill more than 100 people in a village in central Sudan, according to an NGO
The paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (FAR) killed more than 100 people on Wednesday during the assault on the village of Wad al Nura, in the central state of Gezira, causing chaos and the displacement of hundreds of people, denounced the resistance committee of the area.
“The brutality against unarmed civilians caused the death of 104 people and more than 90 injured, in a new massacre that adds to the crimes of the Rapid Support Forces,” this citizen organization in charge of counting victims and displaced persons in the state of Gezira reported in a statement.
According to the note, FAR fighters bombed Wad al Nura with heavy weapons “for hours” and, subsequently, broke into the village in combat vehicles and motorcycles, from where they “fired indiscriminately at the citizens.”
The resistance committee reported that the paramilitaries committed various “massacres” in Gezira since in December they took control of several areas, as well as the state capital, Wad Madani, which until then had become one of the places of refuge for hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the war.
He also accused the Sudanese Army of “negligence” after the citizens asked the military for help in the face of the advance of the FAR, to which the Armed Forces only made some air raids.
“No ground force intervened to save the lives of civilians, despite the presence of a military base in an area not far away,” the resistance committee said.
According to the NGO, the FAR “invaded” the village and looted the properties and vehicles of the civilians before withdrawing from the area to “loot other adjacent villages” from Wad al Nura.
Both the Sudanese Army and the paramilitaries have accused them by numerous international organizations of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity – including the use of sexual violence and ethnic cleansing – which has led to sanctions by countries such as the United States for both opposing parties.
The Army and the FAR have been facing each other in a war since April 15, 2023 that has resulted in at least 30,000 deaths, according to the Sudanese Medical Union, and has caused the internal and external displacement of more than 9 million people.
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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