
The conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor began Wednesday with 133 cardinals locked in the Sistine Chapel, isolated from the outside world. The process started with the “extra omnes” prayer, signaling the closure of the chapel doors. The cardinals, sworn to secrecy, will vote until a new pope is chosen by a two-thirds majority (89 votes). The first vote would be voting in the afternoon, with smoke -black or white- expected any minute.

Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was elected Chancellor of Germany on Tuesday after the second round of Bundestag voting, in which he was given 325 endorsements (thus surpassing the 316 minimum requirement), with 289 rejections and one abstention. No prospective chancellor in post-war Germany had previously failed the first vote after securing a coalition agreement.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) announced Friday through a statement that Mr David Cairns has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Argentine Republic in succession to Mrs Kirsty Hayes, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Cairns will take up his appointment in September this year.

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The benchmark measure of world food commodity prices increased in April, driven by higher quotations for major cereals, meat and dairy products, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported.

Nicaragua announced it would be withdrawing from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), effective Dec. 31, 2026, after it granted the 2025 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to the opposition newspaper La Prensa. The regime of President Daniel Ortega said the accolade was “unacceptable” and accused the publication of promoting violence and fostering anti-Nicaraguan values.

The China Zorrilla, the world’s largest 100% electric ferry, was launched on May 2, 2025, at Incat’s shipyard in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Commissioned by Buquebus, the 130-meter vessel will connect Argentina and Uruguay across the River Plate, carrying up to 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles. The vessel is due in Uruguay in the last quarter of 2025. It was the ninth unit Incat has built for Buquebus.

Populist Nigel Farage and his Reform UK party surged into the lead in local elections across England and grabbed one of Labour’s safest parliamentary seats, trashing Conservatives and becoming head of Britain´s opposition, underline UK media.

Vatican firefighters installed a chimney on the Sistine Chapel roof for the upcoming conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor. The chimney, connected to two stoves—one from 1939 for burning ballots and a 2005 model for chemical additives—will emit black smoke for no election, white smoke for a new pope, and yellow smoke for pre-conclave testing.

The World Bank (WB) Friday approved a US$ 230 million loan for Argentina to enhance job creation and training, supporting the Promoting Employment and Back to Work programs. This financing, part of a US$ 12 billion three-year package following Argentina’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement, aims to benefit over 800,000 unemployed individuals through training, job search services, and socio-labor skill certification, it was explained.