International

Tens of thousands of people participate in protests in Israel to demand a truce

Tens of thousands of people participate this Saturday in new massive protests in different parts of Israel to demand that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu seal a ceasefire agreement with Hamas for the release of the hostages.

In the Israeli capital, in Tel Aviv, the organizers assure that about 400,000 people are expected tonight after a week marked by the call for the first general strike and numerous acts of protests.

Six dead hostages found last week

“Carmel endured, for eight long months, through hunger, deadly fear and bombings… and in June, when an agreement was again on the table, she was again on the list. She [and the other murdered hostages] should have returned home. Alive!” Dickman shouted, the first of the now lifeless host Carmel Gal.

His body was found last week along with five other hostages in an underground tunnel in the southern city of Rafah, in the Gaza Strip. The troops found them days after being “executed by Hamas,” the autopsy confirmed.

Israeli society blames the Government

Since then, the unease of Israeli society towards the Government has skyrocketed among those who blame it for these deaths for not having previously signed a ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian group.

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“We are at the 11th hour. It’s too late for Carmel, but for Ohad Ben Ami, it’s not too late. Stop Such Shoham! Romi Gonen! They can still hug their mothers! Go out every day until he comes home alive!” exclaimed his cousin in reference to the fact that this Saturday marks eleven months of the war in Gaza.

Concentrations in front of the residence of Nentanyahu

In Jerusalem, a group of demonstrators have also gathered in front of the residence of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Nentanyahu, carrying yellow flags representing the movement for the release of hostages held by Hamas.

“The regime’s lies will not bring security,” they chant.

The protesters call for the end of the war, the fall of the government and another general strike to push for an agreement.

Of the 251 kidnapped on October 7, 97 captives remain in the enclave, -33 confirmed dead-, while there are four other hostages for years, two of them dead soldiers.

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Since the war began, Israel and Hamas only reached a one-week truce agreement at the end of November, which allowed the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

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.