International

Trump and Harris fight the final battle for decisive states, two days before the elections

The Republican candidate for the presidency, former President Donald Trump (2017-2021), and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, continued to fight a marathon battle for a handful of decisive ‘hinge’ states, two days before the presidential elections, with polls that present a very tight scenario.

Trump focused on sowing doubts about the voting system in some key states, something that could lead, as in 2020, to a new questioning of the results, while Harris said that in the coming days “they will put us to the test.”

This close pulse means that both political rivals have turned these final days in the seven ‘bisagra’ states: Pennsylvania, the one with the most electoral votes (19); North Carolina (16), Georgia (16), Michigan (15), Arizona (11), Wisconsin (10) and Nevada (6).

Trump: he shouldn’t have left the White House

Trump’s marathon of rallies began in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, territory of the religious, pacifist and traditionalist group of the Amish, to ask for the vote in a community that does not usually participate in elections, but that the Republican hopes will go to the polls and thus obtain the necessary margin to win this key state.

At his rally in Lititz, Trump also reiterated his doubts, so far unfounded, that the electoral process is not being fraudulent, and assured that there will be problems about the legitimacy of the electoral results if the ballot is not known on Tuesday night.

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The Republican candidate said he should not “have left” the White House after losing the 2020 elections, a defeat that he never recognized.

He also criticized the media and their “fake news,” as well as the voting system in the United States, complaining that in some parts of the country you do not have to show an identification document before voting and the time it takes to count the votes.

“The world laughs at our electoral system,” the tycoon noted in his campaign act in the most crucial state of these presidential elections next Tuesday.

Harris: the next few days they will put us to the test

For his part, Harris traveled to Michigan, where he warned that in two days the fate of the nation will be decided, and expressed his conviction that the country is ready to “turn the page” and “write the next chapter of our history.”

In an African-American church in Detroit, Harris, who already voted by mail, said that “the road ahead will not be easy” in the coming days and that “we will be put to the test,” but that the nation “is ready to bend the arc of history towards justice.”

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For his part, former President Barack Obama stopped in Milwakee (Wisconsin) to ask the Latin, black, Jewish and Arab minorities to vote, and questioned them: “Why think that the answer is to vote for a person who has a long history of despising and ignoring their communities?”, in reference to Trump.

The average of surveys collected by FiveThirtyEight show technical ties and within the margin of error between Trump and Harris, so the victory could be determined by very narrow margins or require counts.

The former president had this Sunday, according to that electoral portal, an advantage within the margins of error in North Carolina (1%) and Georgia (1%), while Harris has a slight advantage in Michigan (1%) and Wisconsin (1%). In Pennsylvania and Nevada, they are tied. In Arizona, Trump’s advantage today is 2.5%.

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.