International

Putin orders exercises of the Russian strategic nuclear forces

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the celebration this Tuesday of exercises of the strategic forces of nuclear deterrence in order to rehearse the launch of ballistic and cruise missiles.

“We will train the actions of the commanders to control the use of nuclear weapons with ballistic and cruise missile launches,” Putin said during a statement broadcast on Russian television.

Putin stressed that, “taking into account the increase in geopolitical tensions and the emergence of new external threats and risks, it is important to have modern strategic forces that are permanently ready for use in combat.”

He stressed that the nuclear triad – intercontinental missiles, atomic submarines and strategic aviation – continues to be a “reliable guarantor of the sovereignty and security of our country, which allows the tasks of strategic deterrence to be fulfilled.”

In addition, he added, it also allows “to maintain nuclear parity and the balance of forces in the world as objective factors of global stability.”

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Use of nuclear weapons

At the same time, Putin assured that “Russia confirms its principled position that the use of nuclear weapons is an extreme and extraordinary measure of security guarantee.”

The head of the Kremlin insisted that Moscow intends to continue perfecting all the components of its nuclear arsenal within the framework of the state rearmament program, for which it has greatly increased defense spending since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

This will include the supply to strategic forces of new stationary and mobile missile systems that are much more accurate and, in addition, require less time for launch, he explained.

“And, what is very important, with greater possibilities of overcoming missile defense systems,” he added, alluding to the US shield.

However, he assured that, although Russia intends to strengthen its nuclear forces with modern armaments – currently that indicator is 94% – it does not plan to be involved in a “new arms war” as happened to the Soviet Union.

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At the end of last July, Russia carried out tactical nuclear maneuvers with Belarus using Iskander-M ballistic missiles.

Recently, Putin announced the modification of the current nuclear doctrine after the West considered allowing Ukraine to use long-range weapons against targets in Russian territory.

The new doctrine contemplates the use of nuclear weapons in the event of a conventional attack that threatens the sovereignty of Russia and Belarus.

Negotiations between Russia and the United States are currently stalled for the signing of a new START, which expires in 2026 and which is the last strategic disarmament treaty between the two superpowers.

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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.