New Pope Elected
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected pontiff of the Catholic Church on the second day of the conclave, choosing the papal name Leo XIV. This conclave was made up of the largest number of cardinals in history — 133 across 70 countries — gathered to vote on the next pope Wednesday after morning Mass. Prevost was made a cardinal by Pope Francis less than two years ago. A Chicago native, Prevost also makes history as the first American to be elected pope. Prevost became a bishop in Peru, where he served for two decades. Prevost resembles Francis in his approach to the poor and migrants, but unlike Francis, he is described as reserved and discreet. It is unclear what his approach to the LGBTQ+ community will be.
India Strikes Pakistan, Killing 26, Escalating Conflict
Early Wednesday, India reported that it had conducted strikes on Pakistan. This was India’s most extensive missile strike on Pakistan during official peacetime. This action comes two weeks after over two dozen tourists were killed by militants in Pahalgam, a tourist destination in Indian-administered Kashmir. The Resistance Front, also known as Kashmir Resistance, claimed responsibility for the attack two weeks ago. The Resistance Front is a militant group that Indian officials assert is an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based armed group. Pakistan denied any connection to the terrorist attack and instead called for a neutral investigation into the matter.
India’s attacks struck not only Pakistan-administered Kashmir but also Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, killing 31. India said its military actions were “measured, responsible, and designed to be nonescalatory in nature,” adding that it had targeted only “known terror camps.” Pakistani officials reported at least two civilian casualties and said the strikes targeted civilian sites, including mosques. In its own statement, Pakistan said India’s actions “will not go unanswered” and that it would respond at “a time and place of its own choosing.”
New Offensive in Gaza, Possible New Conditions for Aid
Israeli authorities are discussing a plan to allow international aid into Gaza under strict supervision after blocking aid from entering the war-torn area for over two months. This follows Israel’s announcement that it would expand its offensive on Hamas, calling up tens of thousands of reserves to do so. The coming action would involve displacing most of Gaza’s population to southern Gaza, and unlike prior military offensives, the Israel Defense Forces would remain in the area to “prevent the return of terrorism and to purge and thwart any threat,” according to Israel’s Minister of Defense Israel Katz.
The proposed plan to allow aid would involve the Israeli military heavily, with the IDF monitoring distribution of aid to Palestinians in a series of hubs inside Gaza. The humanitarian assistance groups that would have to operate under this plan say the possible conditions would turn assistance into a military pressure tactic, violating the groups’ principles of neutrality. Relief officials have also cited concerns over access to aid in areas without “hubs.” Other critics in Israel believe the plan would aid Israel in reestablishing Israeli military rule over Gaza.
Germany Elects Merz on Second Try
On Tuesday, Friedrich Merz became Germany’s new chancellor after initially failing in the parliamentary vote for chancellor, where the candidate must attain the support of a majority of Germany’s parliament. Merz fell six votes short in the initial parliamentary vote, but the reasons for the failure were uncertain, as the ballots are anonymous and the parties in the new governing coalition held enough seats to elect him the first time around. Some lawmakers speculated that individual protest votes accidentally added up to the setback. Some analysts say the mishap might make it difficult for Merz to project confidence on the world stage as the new chancellor. Merz now faces many challenges, from Germany’s shrinking economy to strained U.S.–Germany relations.
