| The balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, from which the new pope will be announced. Dimitar Dilkoff/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
The world awaits a smoke signal
Scores of cardinals will file into the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel today to cast ballots for the next pope, in one of the world’s oldest dramas. They will be sequestered until a successor to Pope Francis is chosen. No one knows how long the conclave will last.
“Once they are in, we’ll know practically nothing,” Jason Horowitz, our Rome bureau chief, said. “But the puffs of black smoke, which signify an inconclusive election, will tell us something, too.”
“The first vote is generally symbolic, testing the strength of candidates, but if the election goes deep into the second day with only black smoke, we will know that the cardinals are having a hard time reaching a consensus,” Jason said. “Eventually the smoke will turn white and the new pope will be revealed on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.” Here’s more about how the pope will be chosen.
A lot of uncertainty: The conclave is always unpredictable, but the change in the makeup of the cardinals under Francis, who began his tenure in 2013, makes this one even more so.
The contenders: The Vatican’s No. 2, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, is seen as a possible candidate to succeed Francis and someone who could provide continuity. Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, a liberal-leaning cardinal from the Philippines, has for years been deemed a front-runner. He would be the first pope from Southeast Asia. Here are the other possible candidates.
Related:
| In a mix of fascination and possible blasphemy, social media platforms have been flooded with videos and memes about the conclave.The people who will choose the next pope have been holding what amounts to a referendum on Pope Francis’ legacy: whether to follow his lead, turn back or find some compromise between the two. |
| Army soldiers inspecting a building damaged by a suspected Indian missile attack near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, on Wednesday. M.D. Mughal/Associated Press |
India launched attacks against Pakistan
India said early this morning that it had conducted strikes on nine sites in Pakistan and on Pakistan’s side of the disputed Kashmir region, two weeks after more than two dozen civilians were killed in a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistani military officials said at least eight people were killed and 35 others wounded.
The attack on Punjab, in Pakistani territory outside the contested region, represented an escalation in the conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries. After the attacks, India was bracing for a response from Pakistan, its neighbor and nemesis for more than seven decades.
Context: The two nations have fought several wars, the most recent in 1999, and have edged to the brink more than once since then. As tensions have sharpened again, global leaders have warned of potentially dire consequences if the two sides fail to de-escalate. Here’s what to know about the latest clash.
| Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada and President Trump in the Oval Office. Eric Lee/The New York Times |
Carney told Trump Canada was ‘not for sale’
President Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada met yesterday in Washington, their first meeting since Carney won a stunning election victory on an anti-Trump platform. They sparred over the president’s talk of making Canada the 51st state.
“Some places are not for sale,” Carney said. Trump replied, “Never say never.”
After the meeting, Carney told reporters he felt better about Trump’s posture toward Canada, but stopped short of reporting any concrete negotiations. He said the way forward would be full of “zigs and zags,” but expressed confidence there was a trade deal to be made.
| More on TrumpThe Trump administration is planning to transport a group of immigrants to Libya on a military plane, U.S. officials said.The Supreme Court said that the Trump administration could begin enforcing its ban on transgender troops in the military.Trump said the U.S. would stop bombing the Houthi militia because the group had said that “they don’t want to fight anymore.”Dozens of House Democrats joined Republicans in a vote against a major climate policy. Here’s why. |
| MORE TOP NEWS |
 |
| Ebrahim Noroozi/Associated Press |
| Germany: Friedrich Merz was elected chancellor after losing a first-round vote, potentially weakening his government at a fraught time for Germany and Europe. Russia: A Ukrainian drone attack closed 13 airports, including all four major airports serving Moscow, Russian officials said. War in Ukraine: Three years in, antiwar parents and some teachers in Russia are subversively keeping propaganda out of schools. Sudan: Drone strikes hit Port Sudan, bringing violence to a city that had so far been spared in a devastating war. Venezuela: Five top Venezuelan opposition figures who had been sheltering at the Argentine diplomatic residence have fled to the U.S. Media: In an excerpt from a forthcoming memoir, Barry Diller, the billionaire media mogul, said that he was gay. Royals: King Charles and Queen Camilla unveiled their coronation portraits. |
Middle East
| Yemen: Israeli fighter jets bombed the main airport in Sana in retaliation for a Houthi missile attack that struck near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport last weekend. Jerusalem: The U.S. ambassador to Israel plans to shut down a direct communications channel between U.S. diplomats working on Palestinian issues and agencies in Washington. Gaza: The U.N. and its partners have condemned proposals by Israel to deliver aid, saying its conditions would turn aid into a military pressure tactic. Here’s how it could look. |
| Syria: The only woman in the country’s fledgling cabinet hopes to use her background in conflict resolution to help the next generation. |
Business & Economics
| Trade: Britain and India signed an agreement that reduces tariffs, three years after the negotiations began. U.S.-China: Top officials from both nations will meet in Switzerland this week, the first formal meeting about trade since President Trump raised tariffs on Chinese imports. Bangladesh: Factories that make garments for export lifted national incomes across the country. Trump’s tariffs could destroy this progress. Tesla: The auto maker’s sales in Germany and Britain fell to their lowest point in more than two years. Tariffs: Mattel, the maker of Barbie, said it would raise prices on U.S. toys because of Trump’s 145 percent duties on imports from China. |
| SPORTS NEWS |
| Formula 1: The toymaker Lego built full-size cars for the Miami Grand Prix drivers’ parade. Soccer: This is the story of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, a promising teenage talent in the sport. Fencing: An athlete’s refusal to compete against a transgender opponent in a women’s bout in Maryland has put the issue in front of Congress. Tennis: Here’s what to know about Jannik Sinner’s return to tennis after a three-month ban for doping. |
| MORNING READ |
Chrissie Tully, 93, gave birth in an Irish home for single mothers, shrouded in secrecy and shame. After 76 years, she’s still waiting for the son she never got to hold.
| ARTS AND IDEAS |
 |
| Annaick Guitteny © National Trust Images |
The world’s must-see gardens
A garden is an ideal place to spend a sunny afternoon, but not every one is worth flying across the globe for. We sat down with six horticultural experts and, after hours of debate, they managed to come up with a list of 25 worth the trip.
It includes the garden at Sissinghurst Castle, a 16th-century Tudor manor in Kent, England, that was once owned by the writer Vita Sackville-West. Mediterranean plants like cypress and fig trees flourish among its gravel paths and craggy boulders, and in Sackville-West’s White Garden, rambling roses and lupines burst into pale flower next month. See photos of all 25 gardens.
| RECOMMENDATIONS |
Cook: This sheet-pan chicken dinner takes flavor inspiration from patatas bravas.
