International

Two replicas of 4.0 and 4.2 shake southern Peru, after a magnitude 7 earthquake

Two earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 and 4.2 shook southern Peru in the early hours of this Friday, less than an hour after another 7.0 earthquake shook the department of Arequipa and the neighboring regions.

The Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) detailed on social network X that the two earrtakes occurred in the coastal district of Yauca and its neighbor Lomas.

The first tremor, of magnitude 7.0, occurred at 0:36 (5:36 GMT) with an epicenter 54 kilometers southwest of the coastal district of Yauca, where last Saturday there were two earthquakes of magnitude 5.7 and 5.

Shortly after, the Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation of the Peruvian Navy issued a tsunami alert for the area.

However, shortly after he detailed that “the arrival of the first wave is recorded at 12:51 a.m. from a height of the order of 15 centimeters.”

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The Prime Minister, Gustavo Adrianzén, told the RPP station that the tsunami alert has already been lifted.

Peru is located in a region known as the Pacific Firebelt, where more than 80% of the world’s seismic activity is produced.

The last devastating earthquake in the country occurred in front of the coastal city of Pisco in August 2007, when a movement of magnitude 7.9 hit that town and the entire southern region of Ica, with a balance of more than 500 deaths, as well as millionaire losses in infrastructure and housing.

The Prime Minister of Peru, Gustavo Adrianzén, reported that the earthquake has caused material damage but, so far, no fatalities have been reported.

“Thank God, until this time we have no fatalities registered,” Adrianzén told the RPP station before adding that the tsunami alert that was launched after the strong telluric movement, which had its epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, has also been ruled out.

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Adrianzén expressed his solidarity with the populations affected by the earthquake and asked them for “tranquility”, because the authorities are already doing the evaluations to address any emergency.

“Yes, there has been an affectation in some properties,” he confirmed before ratifying that all the information that is available is still preliminary.

The prime minister reiterated his call for “calm and tranquility,” but always asked to maintain security measures since, despite a tsunami having been ruled out, it is possible that an abnormal swell will appear on the coast.

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.