Religion
Conclave kicks off with black smoke after fractious week of lobbying and intrigue
The world’s gaze is now on a single chimney affixed to the Sistine Chapel.
Vance defends Trump’s AI-generated image of himself as pope
Battle for next pope is about whether Rome is still the Church’s power base
The ultra conservatives wanting to make the Vatican great again
French interior minister under fire for slow response to deadly mosque stabbing
Why Gen Z cares about the next pope — and what it says about the Church
Pope Francis’ funeral in images
Pope Francis, the isolated climate moralist
In the weeks before his death, Francis repeated a decade-old plea for a break from both Trumpian greed and the left’s economic rationalism.
Iran’s exiled ‘crown prince’ calls for mass labor strikes to topple regime
Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last shah, tells POLITICO the West must create a “strike fund” to support civil resistance and paralyze the government.
Trump and von der Leyen set to attend Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday
Top leaders from around the world, including the U.S. president and European Commission chief, will attend the ceremony.
Who are the favorites to succeed Pope Francis?
Will the Italians get the papacy back? Or is it time for the first African in the modern era? A conclave will gather in the weeks ahead to elect a new pontiff.
What happens after Pope Francis’ death
His passing kicks off a tightly choreographed series of events, refined over the centuries.
French PM convenes Cabinet members after ministers spar over banning hijabs in sports
Cracks started to appear within the government over the issue in recent days.
Who’s in Elon’s ear — and DMs
Musk’s most trusted advisers remain a tight-knit group of executives who have followed him from his companies but lack political experience.
Turkey’s Erdoğan tries to sink popular rival in flood of court battles
Popular Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is seen by many as a likely next president — as long as Erdoğan’s authorities don’t jail him.
Is Germany’s far right really attracting Jewish voters?
The AfD casts itself as an attractive option for Jews worried about Muslim migration. Germany’s main Jewish group isn’t buying it.
PMQs: Starmer wins as Badenoch’s scattergun approach falls flat
The Tory leader went for the government on the Chagos Islands and oil drilling — but didn’t hone an effective argument.
Man who sparked protests over his Quran burnings shot dead in Sweden
Salwan Momika was set to stand trial over hate incitement charges on Thursday.
How the House of Lords could kill Britain’s assisted dying bill
One critic of the plan in the upper chamber says they may ask MPs “to come back with a better bill that is less dangerous.”
Holiday special: Meet JD Vance’s surprising European support network
To kick off the new year, we’re sharing a standout episode from our sister podcast, Power Play. EU Confidential will be back next week, but for now, …
Jimmy Carter: The last progressive evangelical
The former president embodied a strain of Christianity that emphasized caring for those on the margins — but was eclipsed by the Religious Right.
Has Syrian rebel leader al-Golani really shaken off his al Qaeda past?
The leopard claims he has changed his spots, but will he bring stability to the devastated nation?
Macron unveils first images of refurbished Notre-Dame
The official reopening of the Paris cathedral is scheduled for next week.
Pope announces web designer as first millennial saint
Carlo Acutis was born in 1991 and died in 2006.
Church of England’s top cleric quits over abuse scandal
Justin Welby says ‘stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England’ after storm of criticism of institution’s handling of abuse of schoolboys.