International
North Korea makes a seemingly failed launch of a missile into the Sea of Japan
North Korea fired as a test an unidentified ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan (called the East Sea in the two Koreas) that apparently failed, according to the South Korean Army, in what is the first launch of its kind since last May 30.
“Around 05.30 (Tuesday’s 20.30 GMT) today, Wednesday, June 26, North Korea launched an unknown type ballistic missile from the Pyongyang area to the East Sea, but it is believed that it failed,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement.
The intelligence authorities of the Republic of Korea (official name of South Korea) and the United States are carrying out more analysis,” the text adds.
A military source cited by the Yonhap agency indicated that the projectile launched was apparently a hypersonic missile that only managed to travel about 250 kilometers before falling into the water.
In turn, the Japanese authorities have pointed out that the projectile would have fallen outside the Japanese exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the waters of the Sea of Japan.
The launch comes after the day before Pyongyang sent another wave of balloons with waste to the South for the second consecutive day – and for the fifth time in the last month – in retaliation for the sending, in a northerly direction, of propaganda against the regime made days earlier by a group of activists from the South.
In addition, on Monday the North Korean regime charged against the arrival at the South Korean port of Busan of the American aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, with nuclear propulsion, a gesture that is interpreted as a show of strength after the summit held last week in Pyongyang between the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
The South Korean president himself, Yoon Suk-yeol, visited the aircraft carrier, which today plans to start trilateral maneuvers with the South Korean and Japanese armies.
Pyongyang threatened to take “new and overwhelming” measures in response to that “provocative act,” in a statement by the North Korean Deputy Minister of Defense, Kim Kang-il, picked up by the state agency KCNA.
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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