Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar
The Pope is dead; Long live the Pope
Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88—less than two months after he was hospitalised with double pneumonia and kidney failure—ending his 12-year tenure. The man from Buenos Aires was one of the most progressive leaders of the Catholic Church in recent history. We are not diving into his life, worldview or work as there are excellent tributes that do a far better job—see: The Guardian, Al Jazeera and BBC News.
His last day: The Pope died in the saddle, so to speak—despite his many illnesses. On his last day, he fulfilled even the more unpleasant tasks such as meeting US Veep JD Vance (who he’d called out for twisting Catholic tenets to excuse Trump’s unholy cruelty toward migrants). The Pope’s last spoken words to his flock: “Dear brothers and sisters, happy Easter”—delivered in a wheelchair from the Vatican balcony.
The immediate cause of death: A stroke that caused a coma and "irreversible" heart failure—at 7:45 am on Monday morning.
The tributes: As expected, world leaders expressed their sorrow at his passing. But only Donald Trump was accompanied by a giant Easter Bunny:
The worst obituary: This super-long New York Times essay—penned by its Vatican reporters Jason Horowitz and Jim Yardley. There isn’t a single mention of ‘Gaza’ in nearly 8,000 words. The Pope was a passionate advocate for Gazans—checking in with the lone Catholic church in the strip almost every evening. He condemned Israeli bombings as “terrorism”—and once again called for a ceasefire in his last address on Sunday. This is hardly an accidental omission and atrocious journalism—and yet another example of why we all need to be careful consumers of the news—irrespective of our views.
The funeral: The Pope laid out explicit instructions for his funeral. There will be no grand viewing on a raised platform. He will be the first Pope in more than a century not to be buried in the Vatican—opting instead for a wooden casket in a modest tomb in Rome—near his favourite icon of the Madonna. It’s only fitting for a man who lived in a Vatican guesthouse rather than the ornate papal residence—and rode about in a Ford Focus.
What happens next: During the first 15-day ‘mourning period’, official duties are carried out by the Pope’s chamberlain. Then the Church begins the tricky business of choosing his successor—a great conclave where cardinals from around the world cast their votes—in sealed isolation in the Sistine Chapel.
The voting: Although there are 252 cardinals, only 138 are eligible to vote as they are under the age of 80. A candidate requires at least a two-thirds majority to be elected. The process usually takes several days and several rounds of voting, done in secrecy. The public waits each day for the burning of the ballot papers. Black smoke means there has been no decision and white smoke signals a new Pope.
The India angle: There are six Indian cardinals—of which four are eligible to vote in the conclave—Filipe Neri Ferrao (the archbishop of Goa and Daman), Cleemis Baselios (the archbishop of Trivandrum), Anthony Poola (our first Dalit cardinal) and George Jacob Koovakad (a Vatican diplomat and archbishop from Kerala).
The contenders: There is no clear front-runner but liberals are rooting for Francis’ right hand man—Italian cardinal Giovanni Battista Re—tasked with protecting his legacy. Kinda the Ralph Fiennes of this conclave. The conservative pick: Hungary’s Peter Erdo. Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo from the Democratic Republic of Congo would be the first African pope—if chosen—but he is also amongst the most conservative.
What to watch: American conservative Catholics—who are keen to undo the “damage” caused by Pope Francis:
For [US conservatives], Pope Francis was a shock. And it became more of a shock when he started talking about gays, divorce and capitalism... It was a relationship that was damaged from the beginning.
In recent years, the American flock has tilted to the right—its worldview best epitomised by JD—while Pope Francis pushed the Vatican to the left. Some fear another liberal Pope may cause a permanent transatlantic schism: “The fear is that it basically could become a Catholic Church that is independent from the Vatican.”
Point to note: Pope Francis appointed a number of liberal cardinals—including in the US—which makes it unlikely that conservatives will be able to skew the vote.
Reading list: Check out Al Jazeera and Associated Press for the Pope’s special relationship with Gaza—why he is especially mourned by its residents. BBC News has everything you need to know about the conclave, while Al Jazeera has the list of candidates to succeed Pope Francis. The Hindu name-checks the Indian cardinals. We leave you with this lovely, funny vid of a Colombian child who hijacked an amused Pope’s address.
Snow on the Himalayas is disappearing
A new report has confirmed what many feared: snow is vanishing far too quickly across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. The fallout will be devastating for nearly two billion people who rely on rivers like the Ganga, Indus, and Brahmaputra.
Let’s break the results down: The HKH—often called the "water tower of Asia”—is fed primarily by snow melt. According to the report, the region has experienced below-normal snowfall for three years in a row. Also: “snow persistence”—the amount of time there is snow on the ground—has hit a 20-year low. The numbers ranged from 24.1% below normal in the Ganga to 27.9% below normal in the Indus basin.
Why this is alarming: Lower snow persistence in winter = less snow melt in the summer = severe water shortages:
About a fourth of the total river runoff in the HKH region is from snowmelt… “Seasonal snowmelt is crucial for regional and local water availability, especially in the early melt season. It nourishes rivers for agriculture, hydropower, and several ecosystem services,” the report said.
The big picture: Global warming is a double whammy for the subcontinent. Reduced snowfall leads to water shortages in the short run. OTOH, rapidly melting glaciers in the Himalayas will result in catastrophic flooding. Indian Express and Down to Earth offer overviews of the report—which is available here.
A great furore over a short poem
The context: Poet Aamir Aziz wrote his poem ‘Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega’ in 2020 during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests. The same year, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters recited a translated version at an event in London:
In other words, it’s not exactly unknown.
What happened now: Aziz has publicly accused Anita Dube of appropriating his poem for her works of art—which are currently on display at her solo exhibition in New Delhi. Dube is a well-known artist and has been a Kochi Biennale curator. Aziz shared pictures from the exhibition that show words from his poem embroidered in velvet and carved in wood:
While one of them is titled ‘After Aamir Aziz’, he points out that most do not credit his work. And this is not a one-time offence. Dube has been happily using his poems for years—including this 2023 exhibit:
Dube’s defence: Her work references words of a variety of people—from Nelson Mandela to Dr BR Ambedkar. Aziz is not special—never mind, he is a living poet with intellectual copyright—unlike the speech of a deceased world leader. But, hey, she now realises that she should have taken his consent—and maybe offered to pay him for the privilege. Though she has no idea why he is so mad at her—and taking legal action, at that. Too bad intellectual property rights experts don’t share her view. (Hindustan Times)
what caught our eye
business & tech
- CNN has a good read on how drone drops on Everest—like ladders falling from the sky—could change mountaineering forever.
- Saying "please" and "thank you" to ChatGPT is costing OpenAI millions—those niceties hike up electricity and water bills.
- Vodafone Idea shares jumped over 10% after the government nearly doubled its stake—converting Rs 36,950 crore in dues into equity.
- Nvidia’s stock drops 6% as US curbs backfire, fueling China’s chip ambitions with its companies ready to go solo.
sports & entertainment
- Shubman Gill’s steady 90 set the tone as Gujarat Titans stuck to their script, posted 198, and cruised past KKR by 39 runs to stay top of the table.
health & environment
- A new study says 96% of gator bites are on humans doing something dumb—basically, the reptiles aren’t the reckless ones.
- Scroll away, seniors—a new study says staying tech-savvy as you age could lower your risk of dementia.
meanwhile, in the world
- Harvard University is suing the Trump administration to block billions in proposed cuts, ramping up a high-stakes legal battle.
- UN report sounds the alarm—Asian crime syndicates are taking their scams global, spreading far beyond their borders.
- Trump’s team is eyeing a politically connected startup to overhaul a $700 billion government payments program, raising eyebrows over potential conflicts of interest.
- China warns countries: cozying up to the US on trade will be “selfish and shortsighted”—and retaliation is on the way.
- The UAE is using AI to write laws in a world first—hoping to speed up lawmaking by 70%, though experts are raising concerns about tech reliability.
- South Korea uncovers $20.8 million in fake ‘Made in Korea’ products, mostly from China, trying to dodge Trump’s tariffs.
- DHL hits pause on US deliveries over Trump’s tariff red tape, cutting off packages over $800.
meanwhile, in India
- Mongabay has a good read on how China’s Brahmaputra dam sparked India’s counter-project, with residents in Arunachal Pradesh resisting the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project amid fears of unclear impacts on their communities.
Two things to see
One: JD Vance—accompanied by his wife Usha Vance and their kids—is on a four-day visit to India. Their first stop: the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in New Delhi—which surely pleased his hosts. The good news: He didn’t go full native a la Justin Trudeau. (New York Times)
Two: Ahhh, it’s not an IPL season without a little melodrama on the field. After scoring an unbeaten half-century to seal RCB’s win over the Punjab Kings, Virat Kohli put on an over-the-top celebration directed at rival captain, Shreyas Iyer—who was not amused. Irony alert: In March, R Ashwin attributed Kohli’s recent success at the crease to his batting partner… Shreyas Iyer. See the testy exchange below. (Times of India)
feel good place
One: CBI recruit: Cat edition.
Two: Huskies, pandas, same difference. We said what we said.
Three: Navy Seal instructors can be rough.
