👋 Bone die!*
Welcome to Friday, where Russia’s Sergei Lavrov says Moscow is “ready to reach a deal” with the U.S. to end the war in Ukraine, Pakistan and India go tit-for-tat over the Kashmir attack, and today’s question comes from Africa’s oldest national park. Meanwhile, Argentine daily Clarín speaks with Cardinal Victor “Tucho” Fernandez, one of Pope Francis’s closest collaborators who accompanied the pontiff through his final days.
[*Sardinian, Italy]
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🗞️ FRONT PAGE
Spanish daily ABC features on its front page the pictures of “the eight most influential cardinals in choosing the new Pope” as the conclave that will elect a new pontiff is set to begin in a few days, following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. In total, 133 cardinals from 71 countries will gather in the Sistine Chapel to vote for Pope Francis’ successor and decide between “greater orthodoxy or following a more reformist sentiment,” the daily writes. Read more in this Die Zeit analysis translated from German by Worldcrunch: Time for A MAGA Pope? How Right-Wing Populists Are Angling For A Crucial New Ally In Rome.
🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
- Russia “ready to reach a deal” on Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the country is “ready to reach a deal” with the U.S. to end the war in Ukraine, adding that some elements of a peace deal still need to be “fine tuned.” As part of discussions, White House envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin today for a fourth time in two months. This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump made a rare public reproach of Vladimir Putin following Thursday’s deadly bombing of Kyiv. Meanwhile, at least three more people were killed by an overnight drone strike into Ukraine.
- India and Pakistan tensions mount after Kashmir tragedy. India’s army chief will visit Kashmir to review its security and visit the site where 26 tourists were killed by militants in the disputed region. India has claimed there were Pakistani elements involved in the attack, and levied a slew of diplomatic measures against Pakistan, with Islamabad announcing similar measures in retaliation and denying involvement in the tragedy. The UN urged both countries to exercise “maximum restraint” in the situation as relations between the nations hit its lowest point in years. For more on the India-Pakistan dispute, check out this story in Delhi-based The Wire: After Kashmir Terror Attack, It’s Up To Modi To Avoid Full-On Civil War.
- Spain calls for end to war in Gaza, cancels deal with Israel. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called for an end to the war in Gaza, the implementation of a two-state solution and the “immediate” entry of foreign aid into the enclave. This came as Spain’s government cancelled a $7.5 million deal to purchase ammunition from a company in Israel. In Gaza, more than 60 people have been killed from Israeli strikes since Thursday.
- U.S., Europe working to secure Iran nuclear deal. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Iranian officials for a third consecutive week to seek a deal limiting Tehran’s nuclear capabilities, attempting to find an agreement that would satisfy both Israel and the west. Meanwhile, Iran’s top diplomat said he is prepared to discuss Iran’s nuclear capacity with European leaders.
- World leaders arrive for funeral of Pope Francis. Heads of state are beginning to arrive in Rome today ahead of the funeral for Pope Francis in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square on Saturday. Donald Trump, Volodymir Zelensky and Argentine President Javier Milei are all expected to make the journey to attend the ceremony, with the Vatican saying that 130 delegations are confirmed. For more on the life of Pope Francis, read this story on what made him different from his predecessors, translated from Italian by Worldcrunch.
- California tops Japan as world’s fourth largest economy. California officially passed Japan as the world’s fourth biggest economy, bringing in a GDP of $4.10 trillion compared to the Asian country’s $4.01 trillion. The U.S. state now only lags behind Germany, China, and the U.S. as a whole. But California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed some concerns that the new figures may be soft amid tariff hikes being implemented by the White House, saying that progress was being threatened by the “reckless tariff policies” of the current administration.
- News Quiz! Virunga National Park, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is turning to a new product to boost conservation efforts. What is Africa’s oldest national park selling to support its wildlife protection program?
- Gold-plated elephant statues
- Chimpanzee-scented candles
- Meet-a-hippo individualized experiences
- Chocolate gorillas
[Answer below]
#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS
46
The Dutch municipality of Maashorst admitted it “most likely” accidentally disposed of 46 artworks, including a 1980s Andy Warhol print of former Dutch Queen Beatrix worth about €15,000, during renovation works last year. An investigation says that a lack of guidelines for storing the artworks, which were kept in a basement during renovations, could have been among the reasons why they ended up being thrown away. The Queen Beatrix print was part of Warhol’s series Reigning Queens, which consisted of 16 colourful prints of four monarchs, including the late Queen Elizabeth II. “That’s not how you treat valuables. But it happened. We regret that,” said mayor Hans van der Pas.
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
✍️ Victor “Tucho” Fernandez, one of the closest collaborators of Pope Francis, recounted his last encounter: “This world has lost a father.”
— CLARÍN
🇮🇳🇵🇰 The massacre in northern Kashmir has reignited calls for retribution and nationalist bravado — but behind the noise lies a deeper challenge: can India’s leaders hold the line against communal rupture and resist falling into Pakistan’s strategic trap?
— THE WIRE
🇺🇸 Donald Trump is distancing himself even further from his European allies — or should we start saying “former allies?”
— FRANCE INTER
📣 VERBATIM
“One of the scenarios is to give up territory.”
— In an interview with the BBC, the mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko said that Ukraine may have to give up land as part of a peace deal with Russia, indicating that it was “not fair” but “for the peace, temporary peace, maybe it can be a solution, temporary.” This marks the first time a senior Ukrainian official has seriously broached the idea after President Volodymyr Zelensky’s repeated dismissals, amid growing pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump on Ukraine to accept territorial concessions. The 53-year-old former boxing champion-turned politician also acknowledged that Ukrainians would “never accept occupation” by Russia.
✍️ Newsletter by Jacob Shropshire & Anne-Sophie Goninet
Quiz Answer: D. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo is selling chocolate gorillas in Europe, including in its former colonial power of Belgium. The national park is home to many of the remaining mountain gorillas, but is increasingly under threat from volcanic activity, deforestation and the armed conflict ravaging the eastern part of the DRC. Profits from the sales will be put towards improvements in nearby communities.
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