World News

A diverse electorate of cardinals is meeting in a conclave to pick the next pope. Though Francis appointed most of them, they may not choose another pope like him, as Jason Horowitz, the Rome bureau chief of The New York Times, explains.

Plus, the world’s must-see gardens.

Friedrich Merz, a conservative Christian Democrat, became Germany’s next chancellor after a surprising setback in parliament delayed him from taking office.

Supporters of Mr. Merz, a former corporate lawyer, say he is well-prepared and thoughtful, but critics accuse him of failing to think more than one step ahead and breaking promises.

Three years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, antiwar parents and some teachers say they are going to great lengths to shield children from state-mandated patriotic education classes.

The choice of ministers points to a tolerance for political risk, but it also assembles a team of loyalists around the new chancellor and vice chancellor.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa is a Vatican outsider, but his experience in a region sacred to three major religions may give him an edge.

The global turmoil wreaked by President Trump’s policies made him a factor in the election, bolstering the re-election of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

A possible contender for the papacy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi has worked with the needy and the disenfranchised, even as he participated in peace talks around the world.