Black smoke signals new pope not chosen

Black smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican yesterday signalled that the secret ballot between 115 cardinals did not produce a successor to Pope Benedict, the Guardian newspaper has reported.

A chimney attached to the roof of the Sistine chapel, where the cardinals are meeting, emitted black smoke last night to show no new pope had been chosen - white smoke would have risen from the chapel's chimney if a pope had been selected.

Four more ballots will be held tomorrow and on the days which follow – two in the morning, two in the afternoon – until they have chosen a pope. A two-thirds majority – 77 votes – is needed for outright victory.

Ghana's Cardinal Turkson is a favourite with British bookmakers to be the next pope and, if chosen to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, will be the first African pope in over 1,500 years.