International
Iran’s drones and missiles pass through the Middle East, where they monitor the growing tension
Lebanese anti-aircraft defenses launched several missiles over the skies of Beirut, presumably to respond to Iranian projectiles passing through their airspace on their way to Israel, public television TeleLiban reported.
“Interceptor missiles explode on the Airport Highway in Beirut,” the channel said, reporting that explosions could also be heard in several parts of the country, from the east to the south, possibly motivated by more responses from the air defenses.
Several missiles sailed the skies of the Lebanese capital about three hours after Tehran announced the start of its attack, according to EFE.
All this coincides with the passage through the region of a large number of missiles and drones launched by Iran towards Israel, in response to the bombing that two weeks ago destroyed its consulate in Damascus and killed seven members of the Revolutionary Guard, including two generals.
More than a hundred Iranian drones intercepted outside Israeli airspace by the United States and the United Kingdom.
Drones and cruise missiles launched by Iran against Israel have passed through Iraq’s airspace, while explosions were heard in the sky of some regions of the north of the country, local media and a security source reported to EFE on Sunday.
A source from the Iraq Area Force said on condition of anonymity that the projectiles crossed several areas of the country, after the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announced the closure of the airspace from 8:30 p.m. to 2:30 GMT on Sunday.
For their part, local media reported that several rounds of drones and missiles flew over the southern provinces of Maysan and Nasiriya, as well as that of Suleimaniya, in the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, in northern Iraq.
Likewise, the Kurdish media Rudaw indicated that explosions were heard in the sky of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, without it being known so far whether they are projectiles intercepted by the regional authorities or by the international coalition led by the United States, which is established in that locality.
The media also indicated that the sirens of the US consulate in Erbil began to sound after the projectiles flew over the locality, while he pointed out that the air defense systems of the building itself could have intercepted the unmanned aircraft.
Several areas of Syria recorded explosions this Sunday amid attempts by Israeli forces to shoot down the large number of drones and missiles launched by Iran into its territory, two organizations reported.
The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights confirmed in its X account that deflagrations could be heard not only in Damascus but also in areas of the country as disparate as the provinces of Homs (center), Hama (northwest) or Deraa (south).
The NGO, based in the United Kingdom and a wide network of collaborators on the ground, attributed the explosions to missiles launched by the Syrian anti-aircraft defenses against Israeli projectiles that, in turn, tried to shoot down those sent by Iran.
However, the Syrian authorities, allies of Tehran, have not yet confirmed that they have attacked Israeli targets on their territory.
The network of local activists from the south of the country ‘Horan Free Media’ also reported in X of the shooting down of several Iranian drones in the airspace of the province of Deraa and released a video in which you can see the moment when they were intercepted in the middle of the night.
Several drones launched from Iran intercepted in the sky of Amman, the capital of Jordan, according to state television Al Mamlaka in a live broadcast, during which the anti-aircraft sirens could be heard.
The Jordanian Armed Forces intercepted drones in the capital’s airspace, the television said.
The unmanned aircraft were also seen, and destroyed, in the sky of the Gerasa region, in northern Jordan, according to EFE.
International
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s Purse Stolen in D.C. Restaurant Heist
The purse of Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, was stolen on Sunday night at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., Fox News Digital confirmed through several agency sources.
The handbag, taken by a white male wearing a mask, reportedly contained $3,000 in cash along with personal documents, including her passport, keys, driver’s license, and DHS badge, according to an agency spokesperson.
“Her entire family was in town, including her children and grandchildren. She was celebrating her retirement by treating them to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,” the spokesperson added.
Crime continues to be a significant issue in the U.S. capital, particularly theft. However, violent crime reached its lowest level in 30 years last year, according to the Office of the Attorney General at the time.
International
Pope Francis: The Quiet Architect Behind the U.S.-Cuba Thaw
When then-U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro announced the reestablishment of diplomatic relations in December 2014—after decades of hostility—there was a third figure present in both speeches: Pope Francis.
This thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations—later reversed by Donald Trump—was the result of behind-the-scenes negotiations personally encouraged by Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, just over a year after becoming head of the Catholic Church.
Upon learning the news of the breakthrough, the pontiff humbly stated, “This was made possible thanks to the ambassadors and to diplomacy,” which he called “a noble, very noble job.”
In 2015, months after the announcement, Raúl Castro visited the Vatican and met with the pope. Over time, Castro developed a fondness for Francis that he never had for his predecessors, Benedict XVI and John Paul II. “If the Pope continues talking like this, sooner or later I’ll start praying again and return to the Catholic Church—and I’m not joking,” said the younger Castro, who, like his brother Fidel (1926–2016), had been educated by Jesuits—the same order to which Pope Francis belonged.
Pope Francis visited Cuba later that year. Just days before his arrival, the Cuban government announced the pardon of 3,522 common prisoners as an act of clemency.
While in Havana, the pope met with Fidel Castro, who gave him a first edition of the book Fidel and Religion by Brazilian friar and liberation theologian Frei Betto.
Criticism from the Opposition
Francis’s diplomatic approach also drew criticism from parts of the Cuban opposition. In a 2022 interview with Univision, the pope revealed he had “a human relationship” with Raúl Castro.
International
Dominican Republic Declares Three Days of Mourning for Pope Francis
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has declared three days of national mourning starting Tuesday following the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88 in his residence at the Casa Santa Marta.
In an official decree, Abinader highlighted the pope’s legacy “as a global leader who promoted significant reforms within the Catholic Church and was known for his humility, openness to dialogue, and commitment to peace among nations.”
During the mourning period, the national flag will be flown at half-staff at military facilities and public buildings.
According to a statement from the Office of the Presidency, although Pope Francis never visited the Dominican Republic during his papacy, he maintained a close relationship with the country. He expressed solidarity and empathy during difficult times, including offering prayers for the victims of the recent tragedy at a Santo Domingo nightclub on April 8, which claimed 232 lives and left more than 180 injured.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s Purse Stolen in D.C. Restaurant Heist
Pope Francis: The Quiet Architect Behind the U.S.-Cuba Thaw
Dominican Republic Declares Three Days of Mourning for Pope Francis
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