Some of the cardinals considered top contenders to become the next pope were visible this morning. Among them were Cardinal Pietro Parolin β widely viewed as the frontrunner β and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, who was spotted in the front row.
Christopher Lamb, CNNβs Vatican correspondent, said that the presence of high-profile cardinals in visible positions is βimportant to watch,β but cautioned against assuming any clear favorite.
βThere is that saying, βhe who enters the conclave as pope, leaves it as a cardinal,β so I think in this conclave itβs the outsiders who could storm through,β he said. βThe politics do play a role, and I think that it has led some cardinals to think that past conventional wisdom β that there canβt be an American pope β no longer holds.β
Many of the frontrunners are Italian, though Lamb noted that the countryβs cardinals have historically struggled to unite behind a single name.
Update:
Pope Leo XIV, the first American Pope in history, emerges.
Islamabad has vowed retaliation as the most intense fighting in years broke out between the nuclear-armed rivals
India has launched βOperation Sindoor,βtargeting what it called βterrorist infrastructureβ in Pakistan and the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir, in retaliation for a deadly terrorist attack in Baisaran Valley.
Islamabad condemned the strikes as a βheinous provocationβ and vowed retaliation.
New Delhi said it hit at least nine targets early Wednesday morning, insisting that the strikes were directed at βterrorist campsβ and not the Pakistani armed forces or civilians.
βOur actions have been focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and method of execution,β the Indian government said in a statement.
Update:
United States: President Donald Trump called Indiaβs military operation against Pakistan βa shame.β US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to the national security advisers from India and Pakistan and urged βboth to keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation.β
India has banned all online content from Pakistan.
βIn the interest of national security, all OTT platforms, media streaming platforms and intermediaries operating in India are advised to discontinue the web-series, films, songs, podcasts and other streaming media content, whether made available on a subscription based model or otherwise, having its origins in Pakistan with immediate effect,β Indiaβs Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said in an advisory.
India has attacked air defense systems in various locations throughout Pakistan in response to Islamabadβs attempts to launch cross-border strikes against a number of military targets.
Pakistani drones are attacking Jammu, Indian. The military of India are engaging, blackouts reported in the area.
Pakistan are attacking various Indian town & cities including; Udhampur, Jammu, Akhnoor, Pathankote.
