International

North Korean soldiers cross the dividing line with the South for the third time in June

North Korean soldiers working in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas crossed the border briefly, for the third time so far this month, to which the South responded again with warning shots that made them return to their territory.

North Korean troops crossed the central section of the border dividing line around 11:00 local time (2:00 GMT), as reported by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in a statement collected by the Yonhap news agency.

Before the incursion, the South Korean Army fired warning shots that caused the soldiers from the North to return to their side of the border, the JCS explained, which added that the event seems to be accidental again, since Pyongyang’s troops soon resumed their work in the area.

It is the third time that a border incident of this nature has occurred this June, amid the increase in tension between neighboring countries. On June 9 and 18, groups of North Korean soldiers carried out similar events, which the JCS does not consider intentional either.

North Korea has been deploying troops in front-line areas since April to carry out activities such as planting mines, erecting walls that could serve as anti-tank barriers and reinforcing roads.

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Both Koreas have begun to resume activities around the DMZ after Seoul recently decided to suspend compliance with a military security treaty signed in 2018 to reduce tensions, in protest against the sending of balloons to the South by the North Korean regime loaded with waste.

Tension on the peninsula has increased especially since at the beginning of the year Pyongyang decided to withdraw from the Constitution the need to carry out the reunification of the peninsula and declared the South as its main enemy.

This Thursday’s border incident also occurs days after the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, made his first visit to North Korea in more than 24 years and met with the leader of the North Korean regime, Kim Jong-un, with whom he signed a new strategic agreement that contemplates mutual military assistance in case the other is assaulted.

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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.