International
A Russian general dies in the explosion of a car bomb near Moscow
Russian Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, senior command of the General Staff, died this Friday due to the explosion of a car bomb in the Moscow region, according to the Russian Instruction Committee (CIR).
“According to preliminary data, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik died as a result of the explosion,” Svetlana Petrenko, a CIR spokeswoman, told local media.
Moskalik, deputy chead of the operations command of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces since 2021, died when approaching a car, a Volkswagen Golf, in which an explosive device was remotely detonated, according to Mash and Shot, two Telegram channels.
“The reason for the explosion was an explosive device. Fragments of the device were found at the scene of the accident,” a police source told the TASS agency.
The newspaper Kommersant suggests that a second person could have died in the attack, although other media do not report that possibility.
The sources cited by another channel, BAZA, speak of a gas cylinder as the reason for the explosion equivalent to 300 grams of trilite.
Other media believe that the cylinder that was in the car amplified the power of the explosive, which caused damage to the cars parked in the vicinity and the windows of adjacent buildings.
According to the Mash channel, the last owner of the car, which was parked in front of the portal of the building where the general lived, was an individual from the Ukrainian city of Sumi.
The Instruction Committee opened a criminal case for murder and illegal possession of explosives, while the spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs, María Zajárova, called the incident a “terrorist attack”.
The explosion took place in the courtyard of an urbanization built east of the Russian capital especially for retired military personnel, where a team of investigators, criminals and other agents has already been sent to supervise the site of the attack.
The Russian media offered images of the powerful explosion of tourism at the pass of the 59-year-old general, who had been included in the Ukrainian Mirotvorets list in which “the enemies of Ukraine” appear.
In December of last year, Lieutenant General Igor Kirilov, head of Russia’s radiological, chemical and biological defense, also died in a bomb attack while leaving his home.
According to the Gazeta.ru portal, in both cases its authors studied in detail the routine, from the schedule to the route, which the victims followed daily.
Then, Russian President Vladimir Putin described this attack as a “serious failure” by the security services, who held the agents of the Ukrainian secret services responsible.
“This (the murder of Kirilov), of course, means that our law enforcement officers and special services let these attacks pass. We need to improve the work and avoid such serious failures,” he said.
In turn, shortly after, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed to have thwarted a series of attacks against senior military leaders in the country and reported the arrest of four Russian citizens as part of the investigation.
“The Russian Federal Security Service thwarted a series of attacks against high-ranking military personnel of the Ministry of Defense who participate in the special military operation (in Ukraine), as well as against members of their families,” the agency said.
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.
International
Spain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Monday evening he hoped the electric service would be fully restored across Spain “soon,” while urging the public to act with “responsibility and civility” amid the blackout that has affected the Iberian Peninsula since midday.
Sánchez explained that the outage was triggered by “a strong fluctuation (…) in the European power system, which led to a widespread supply interruption across the Iberian Peninsula and some areas of southern France.”
After more than six hours without power, “service has been restored in several northern and southern territories” of the Iberian Peninsula, Sánchez said, adding that “hydroelectric power plants across the country have been reactivated, which should allow us to fully restore electricity in Spain soon.”
“I call on citizens to cooperate with the authorities, to act responsibly and civilly, as we have done in past crises,” Sánchez urged, addressing the chaos unfolding in the streets, with people left without phones, metro services, or trains.
The Prime Minister also asked people to “minimize travel,” “avoid spreading unverified information,” rely solely on official sources for updates, and make “responsible use of mobile phones” by keeping calls brief.
“There are no security concerns,” Sánchez stressed, and “our hospital system is functioning properly.”
International
Madrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
Emergency services carried out 286 rescue operations to free people trapped in elevators in Madrid following a blackout that has been affecting the Iberian Peninsula since midday Monday, the president of the Madrid region reported.
“What we are dealing with most frequently right now are cases of people trapped in elevators,” said Madrid regional government leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso in an interview with Antena 3. She added that Madrid’s extensive metro system, which transports around two million people daily, was evacuated “without incident.”
One man posted a video on social media saying he had been trapped in an elevator without phone service for over half an hour due to the power outage.
“By banging on the door and shouting, a neighbor heard me and called the police,” he explained, noting that it took officers about 30 minutes to free him.
Spain and Portugal share a highly integrated energy network that operates as an “energy island,” connected to the rest of Europe by only a small number of cross-border interconnections with France.
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
Spain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
Madrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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