What happened
Canada's new prime minister, Mark Carney of the ruling Liberal Party, announced yesterday that voters will go to the polls on April 28 to pick a new government. Carney was sworn in March 14, replacing Justin Trudeau, who had grown unpopular after a decade in power. His main rival in the upcoming election is Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.

Who said what
Carney, a former central banker and "political rookie" who is "not considered to be a stirring speaker," presents a "stark contrast" with Poilievre, a "lifelong politician who rose to prominence as a smarmy attack dog in Parliament," The Washington Post said. The campaign, however, is "likely to come down to one question: Who can best handle President Donald Trump and make Canada more resilient in the face of his threats?"

Carney said he needed a "strong, positive mandate" to tackle Trump's "unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty," which he called "the most significant crisis of our lifetimes." Poilievre also criticized Trump's "unacceptable threats against our country" but argued that Trudeau's economic policies had left Canada weak and vulnerable.

What next?
Polls show that Carney has "eliminated" Poilievre's recent "25-percentage-point lead" and the "two enter the election period neck-and-neck," The New York Times said. 

What happened
Pope Francis made his first public appearance in more than five weeks yesterday, waving to well-wishers from his balcony at Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic hospital before being discharged and driven back home to the Vatican to convalesce. The pope had entered the hospital on Feb. 14 with worsening bronchitis, and his subsequent battle against double pneumonia included "two very critical episodes" where his "life was in danger," said Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the head of the pope's hospital medical team.

Who said what
"Thank you, everyone," Pope Francis said from the hospital balcony, his "wisp of a voice" thin and "raspy" from his lung infections, according to The New York Times. The 88-year-old pope looked "frail" and wore nasal oxygen tubes during the drive home, The Associated Press said, but his exit from the hospital "brought tangible relief to the Vatican and Catholic faithful who have been anxiously following 38 days of medical ups and downs and wondering if Francis would make it."

What next?
Doctors have instructed the pope, "who had kept up a grueling schedule before his illness," to "take it easy for at least two months" and avoid large groups and small children due to infection concerns, the Times said.