International
Clashes between insurgents and the military cause 44 deaths in southern Pakistan
Clashes between insurgents and members of Pakistan’s security forces caused at least 22 deaths in the southern province of Balochistan, police sources reported on Monday, and that add to the death of 22 other travelers in the conflicting region at the hands of armed men.
In addition, at least three people died and 18 others were injured on Monday when a bomb exploded in a market in the northwest of the country, according to the police.
A first attack took place last night, when a group of insurgents tried to assault an Army camp in the Lasbela district, which resulted in a shooting that continues on Monday.
“We have no information about how many members of the security forces have died, but at least 12 insurgents have been killed in the exchange of fire so far,” an officer from the control room of the district police, Nasir Uddin, told EFE.
The assault was claimed in a statement by the main separatist group in the region, the Liberation Army of Balochistan (BLA), where he claimed to have taken “total control of all the main roads of Balochistan” and that 56 soldiers had died and dozens had been injured.
The insurgent formation also announced the launch of a large-scale operation throughout the province.
The district of Kalat was the scene of another shooting between insurgents and the Pakistani security forces, which began shortly before last midnight and ended in the death of ten people.
“In the exchange of fire, ten people were killed, including eight security officers, and another eleven were injured,” an officer of the Kalat Police control room, Abdullah Hussain, told EFE.
No insurgent group claimed the attack so far.
To these deaths is added the murder of 22 other people last night also in Balochistan, in an insurgent attack against travelers mostly from the Pakistani Punjab region.
These actions coincide with the 18th anniversary of the death of a popular Baluchi leader in a Pakistani Army operation.
Balochistan, where insurgent groups operate that fight for the independence of the region, is along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa one of the provinces of Pakistan that have experienced a greater increase in violence in recent years.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban, who took control of Kabul in August 2021, of sheltering insurgent groups such as their Pakistani ideological brothers, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
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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