International

Pyongyang highlights the “strategic strength” of relations with Moscow upon the arrival of Putin

The North Korean media highlighted this Wednesday the “strategic strength” that relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have reached and its importance in creating “a multipolar world”, on the occasion of the arrival on the eve of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will be in Pyongyang until today.

The presidential plane in which Putin was traveling landed around 02:45 local time on Wednesday (17:45 GMT on Tuesday) at Sunan International Airport, where Putin was personally received by Kim, whom he had met last September in Russian territory.

Kim welcomed Putin near the foot of the plane’s ladder, and both staged their closeness with a hug and smiles, and gave for a few minutes after the Russian leader received a floral offering and reviewing the guard of honor of the North Korean forces, according to some images from the state agency KCNA.

In addition, Kim “expressed his joy and joy at meeting him again in Pyongyang 270 days after the meeting at the Vostochni Cosmodrome in September last year,” according to the KCNA.

Putin, for his part, announced his “deep gratitude” to Kim for receiving him at the airport and offering him a warm welcome, according to the same media.

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The visit takes place “at a crucial moment” when relations “have emerged as a solid strategic strength to preserve international justice, peace and security and as an engine to accelerate the construction of a multipolar world,” said a note from the media.

The new meeting between the two leaders “straves once again the durability and invincibility of friendship and unity” between Moscow and Pyongyang, the North Korean state agency added.

Putin stayed at the luxurious Guest Palace of Kumsusan, built in 2019 and housed by the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, when he visited North Korea five years ago.

Kim and Putin are expected to preside over some kind of parade in Pyongyang this Wednesday, since satellite images show the assembly of temporary structures in Kim Il-sung Square, the epicenter of events of this type in the North Korean capital.

Putin’s visit to North Korea will allow the consolidation of “a crucial phase of broad development in the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation” between both parties, with a view to “a forward-looking strategic collaboration,” the KCNA stressed.

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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.