International
Milei highlights the support of the IMF and the World Bank while denying devaluation pressures
Argentine President Javier Milei stressed the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to its Administration, revealed that Argentina is negotiating a new program with the Fund “to get the economy up and running” and categorically denied the alleged pressures of the body led by Kristalina Georgieva to devalue the peso.
“It is false that the IMF is asking (Luis) Caputo (Minister of Economy) to devalue,” Milei said in an interview on Tuesday with the Todo Noticias (TN) channel in which he referred to the conversations he had with the head of the Fund during the Global Summit on Peace in Ukraine held in Bürgenstock (Switzerland) on June 15 and 16.
“I didn’t talk to her about money,” he clarified.
Milei highlighted what he considered to be economic achievements of his Government. “We have been in financial balance for five months in a row” and “it’s been two months in which salaries and pensions (pensions) beat inflation,” he said.
In addition, he stressed that “wholesale inflation today is 3.5%,” compared to 54% when he assumed the Presidency, while mentioning a new agreement in the making with the International Monetary Fund, and celebrated that “the president of the World Bank decided to support Argentina.”
The president also defended the head of his government’s finances by stating that “(Luis) Caputo is the best Minister of Economy in the history of Argentina. No one is going to achieve Caputo’s achievements,” he said.
The Argentine head of state categorically denied the rumors about pressure from the IMF to devalue the currency.
“It is false that the IMF is asking Caputo to devalue.” However, he acknowledged the pending challenges: “The recovery will take time, but we are on the right track,” he said.
At the political level, Milei accused Kirchnerism of trying to destabilize his Government: “Kirchnerism is trying to strike a blow from the first moment,” he said without providing evidence in this regard.
Milei also reaffirmed his leadership and decision in the election of his cabinet. “I’m not going to touch any minister. I’m the boss,” he stressed.
During the interview, Milei announced that Federico Sturzenegger, former president of the Central Bank known for his liberal approach and architect of the Argentine president’s economic reform proposals, will be fully integrated into his Government.
In addition, he criticized figures who, according to him, misappropriate the papal representation: “There are people who take their representation and do not have it. It should not be sympathetic to Pope Francis that those who claim to protect the poor, steal from the poor,” he added.
Milei also referred to the political opposition and the legislative power, pointing out that “a senator earns more than twice as much” as he earns.
At the international level, the president highlighted his relations with far-right politicians. “We have an excellent link with Santiago Abascal (leader of the Spanish far-right Vox party), with the Bolsonaros, with (Giorgia) Meloni,” Italian Prime Minister, boasted.
In addition, he announced an upcoming visit to France: “Macron invited me to go to Paris. I’m going to Paris for the opening of the Olympic Games” and he also defended his official trips.
“I travel as many times as necessary for my work. How many were invited to be at the G7 table? (…), with my travels I put Argentina at the top,” he said.
In his interview with TN, Milei did not skim on criticism of the media and some journalists, whom he accused of lack of ethics. “There are many journalists who are very dirty,” he said.
Finally, the Argentine president recognized the challenges faced by his Administration
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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