Forget the film: Vatican is preparing for the real ‘Conclave'
As the Vatican prepares for the secret meeting of cardinals who will pick a successor to Pope Francis, forget — to some extent — what you may have learnt from Conclave, last year's hit movie depicting high-level power games and backstabbing among the red-robed clerics.
The conclave of the "Princes of the Church" that will elect a new pope is expected to start some time between May 6 and 11. It will follow Francis' funeral on Saturday and wider consultations among cardinals, known as general congregations.
The film, which won an Oscar in March for best adapted screenplay, is a faithful representation in terms of costumes and staging, but the blatant scheming and closing plot twist, which this article will not spoil, are too much, church experts said.
"Let's face it, Conclave, which takes us to the heart of one of the most mysterious and secret events in the world, is a highly entertaining film, specially for an easy-going American audience," the Italian bishops' newspaper, Avvenire, wrote in a December review.
"But it is impossible not to smile at certain characters or situations that, specially in the eyes of Italian viewers, risk resembling involuntary parodies," it said.
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IOL News
8 hours ago
- IOL News
Iran president urges unity as Israeli attacks continue
Smoke billows for the second day from the Shahran oil depot, northwest of Tehran, on June 16, 2025. Image: AFP The Iranian president on Monday urged all citizens to put aside differences and unite against Israel as conflict rages between the two arch-foes. "Every difference, issue, and problem that has existed must be put aside today and we must stand strong against this genocidal criminal aggression with unity and coherence," Masoud Pezeshkian said, addressing parliament. Iran unleashed a missile barrage on Israeli cities Monday after Israeli strikes deep inside the Islamic republic, leaving streets in ruins and the death toll in Israel climbing by 11 amid a spiralling air war. After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel on Friday launched aerial attacks on Iran in a surprise campaign it said was aimed at stopping its arch-foe from acquiring atomic weapons - an allegation Tehran denies. So far, Israel's strikes have killed at least 224 people inside Iran, including top military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians, according to authorities in the Islamic republic. In retaliation, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Monday it had "successfully" struck Israel with a salvo of missiles and warned of "effective, targeted and more devastating operations" to come. The latest Iranian onslaught left a trail of destruction across Israeli cities -- including Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Petah Tikva and Haifa - with shattered homes, smouldering wreckage and stunned residents picking through the debris. "We heard a strong bomb," said Henn, a father of four in Petah Tikva. "It was very scary," he told AFPTV. The death toll in Israel rose by 11 on Monday, the prime minister's office said, bringing the total since Friday to 24. The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said the missile barrage also lightly damaged a building used by the American embassy in Tel Aviv. 'I will not leave' Iran's attack followed a wave of intense Israeli air raids that struck targets across the Islamic republic - from the western border with Iraq to the capital Tehran and as far east as Mashhad, where the airport was hit. Despite reports of civilians fleeing Tehran, some vowed to stay. "It is natural that war has its own stress, but I will not leave my city," Shokouh Razzazi, 31, told AFP in the Iranian capital. The rapid escalation has drawn mounting international concern and calls for de-escalation. China urged both sides to "immediately take measures to cool down the tensions" and "prevent the region from falling into greater turmoil". Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen also appealed for calm, saying she had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that "a negotiated solution is, in the long term, the best solution". While critical of Israel's campaign in Gaza, von der Leyen blamed Iran for the latest crisis, citing the UN nuclear watchdog's findings that it was not in compliance with its obligations. "In this context, Israel has the right to defend itself. Iran is the principal source of regional instability," she said. Iran, meanwhile, called on the International Atomic Energy Agency to condemn the Israeli strikes on its nuclear sites. "We expect the (IAEA) Board of Governors and the director general to take a firm position in condemning this act and holding the regime (Israel) accountable," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in Tehran. 'A heavy price' Residential areas in both countries have suffered deadly strikes since the hostilities erupted, with Netanyahu accusing Iran of deliberately targeting civilians. "Iran will pay a very heavy price for the premeditated murder of civilians, women and children," he said while visiting a bombed-out apartment block in Bat Yam. The military said Monday it had destroyed one third of Iran's surface-to-surface missile launchers. In a televised address, Iranian armed forces spokesman Colonel Reza Sayyad vowed a "devastating response" to Israeli attacks. "Leave the occupied territories (Israel) because they will certainly no longer be habitable in the future," he said, adding shelters would "not guarantee security". Addressing Iran's parliament, President Masoud Pezeshkian urged citizens to "stand strong against this genocidal criminal aggression with unity and coherence". 'Make a deal' US President Donald Trump insisted Washington had "nothing to do" with Israel's military campaign but warned any Iranian attack on American interests would trigger "the full strength and might" of the US military. On Sunday, Trump urged both sides to "make a deal" while expressing doubts about near-term peace prospects. "Sometimes they have to fight it out, but we're going to see what happens," he said. A senior US official told AFP Trump had intervened to prevent Israel from carrying out an assassination of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "We found out that the Israelis had plans to hit Iran's supreme leader. President Trump was against it and we told the Israelis not to," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Asked by Fox News whether regime change in Iran was one of Israel's objectives, Netanyahu said: "It certainly could be the result, because the Iran regime is very weak." As hostilities intensified, Iran said it was scrapping planned nuclear talks with the United States, calling dialogue "meaningless" under bombardment. AFP
eNCA
a day ago
- eNCA
'Hidden treasure': Rare Gandhi portrait up for UK sale
A rare oil painting of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, which is believed to have been damaged by a Hindu nationalist activist, is to be auctioned in London in July. Gandhi, one of the most influential figures in India's history, led a non-violent movement against British rule and inspired similar resistance campaigns across the world. He is the subject of tens of thousands of artworks, books and films. But a 1931 painting by British-American artist Clare Leighton is believed to be the only oil portrait he sat for, according to the painter's family and Bonhams, where it will be auctioned online from July 7 to 15. "Not only is this a rare work by Clare Leighton, who is mainly known for her wood engravings, it is also thought to be the only oil painting of Mahatma Gandhi which he sat for," said Rhyanon Demery, Bonhams Head of Sale for Travel and Exploration. The painting is a "likely hidden treasure", Caspar Leighton, the artist's great-nephew, told AFP. AFP | BENJAMIN CREMEL Going under the hammer for the first time next month, the painting is estimated to sell for between £50,000 and £70,000 ($68,000 and $95,000). Clare Leighton met Gandhi in 1931, when he was in London for talks with the British government on India's political future. She was part of London's left-wing artistic circles and was introduced to Gandhi by her partner, journalist Henry Noel Brailsford. "I think there was clearly a bit of artistic intellectual courtship that went on," said Caspar, pointing out that his great-aunt and Gandhi shared a "sense of social justice". - Painting attacked - The portrait, painted at a crucial time for India's independence struggle, "shows Gandhi at the height of his power", added Caspar. It was exhibited in London in November 1931, following which Gandhi's personal secretary, Mahadev Desai, wrote to Clare: "It was such a pleasure to have had you here for many mornings doing Mr Gandhi's portrait." "Many of my friends who saw it in the Albany Gallery said to me that it was a good likeness," reads a copy of the letter attached to the painting's backing board. AFP | BENJAMIN CREMEL The painting intimately captures Gandhi's likeness but it also bears reminders of his violent death. Gandhi was shot at point-blank range in 1948 by disgruntled Hindu nationalist activist Nathuram Godse, once closely associated with the right-wing paramilitary organisation RSS. Godse and some other Hindu nationalist figures accused Gandhi of betraying Hindus by agreeing to the partition of India and the creation of Muslim-majority Pakistan. According to Leighton's family, the painting was attacked with a knife by a "Hindu extremist" believed to be an RSS activist, in the early 1970s. Although there is no documentation of the attack, a label on the back of the painting confirms that it was restored in the United States in 1974. Under UV light, Demery pointed out the shadow of a deep gash running across Gandhi's face where the now-restored painting was damaged. "It feels very deliberate," she said. - 'Real home' - The repairs "add to the value of the picture in a sense... to its place in history, that Gandhi was again attacked figuratively many decades after his death", said Caspar. The only other recorded public display of the painting was in 1978 at a Boston Public Library exhibition of Clare Leighton's work. After Clare's death, the artwork passed down to Caspar's father and then to him. "There's my family's story but the story in this portrait is so much greater," he said. "It's a story for millions of people across the world," he added. AFP | Justine GERARDY Unlike countless depictions of the man known in India as the "father of the nation" -- in stamps, busts, paraphernalia and recreated artwork -- "this is actually from the time", said Caspar. "This might be really the last truly significant picture of Gandhi to emerge from that time."
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Israel intensifies Iran threats as the third day of fighting rages on
Smoke billows following an explosion in central Tehran on June 15, 2025. Image: Atta Kenare / AFP Israel unleashed a punishing barrage of strikes targeting the capital Tehran on Sunday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to make Iran pay "a very heavy price" for killing civilians, on the third day of fierce fighting. With no let-up in sight, Iran said it would begin opening mosques, metro stations and schools to serve as makeshift bomb shelters for civilians, as Israel kept up its withering blows. After decades of enmity and war by proxy, the latest conflict marked the first time the arch-enemies have traded fire with such intensity, triggering fears of a prolonged conflict that could engulf the entire Middle East. As Israel continued to target sites across the Islamic republic, Iran launched a new barrage of missiles aimed at Israel on Sunday afternoon, setting off air raid sirens in Jerusalem and elsewhere. Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu slammed Iran for allegedly targeting civilian areas, despite the fact that Israel's attacks have reportedly killed more civilians in Iran. "Iran will pay a very heavy price for the premeditated murder of civilians, women and children," Netanyahu said during a visit to the site of a missile strike on a residential building in the coastal city of Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv. The remarks came hours came after Iranian missile fire targeting Israel killed at least 10 people overnight, according to authorities, pushing the death toll up to 13 since Iran began its retaliatory strikes Friday, with 380 reported injured. Iranian media, citing the health ministry, meanwhile reported at least 128 killed in Israeli attacks from Friday to Saturday, including women and children, with 900 more reported injured. 'Make a deal' In Tehran, a heavy cloud of smoke hung above the city after Israeli aircraft hit two fuel depots. Local media later reported an Israeli strike hit the police headquarters in the city centre. The Israeli military said its air force had targeted "more than 80" positions in Tehran overnight. US President Donald Trump said Washington "had nothing to do" with Israel's intense bombardment campaign that was launched early Friday, hitting key military and nuclear sites as well as residential areas. But Trump also threatened to launch "the full strength and might" of the US military if Iran attacks American interests, later urging the two foes to "make a deal". Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi nonetheless said that Tehran had "solid proof" that US forces had supported Israel in its attacks. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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"There was an explosion and I thought the whole house had collapsed," said Bat Yam resident Shahar Ben Zion. "It was a miracle we survived." In northern Israel, rescuers and medics said a strike late Saturday destroyed a three-storey building in the town of Tamra, killing four women. 'Red line' In Iran's capital early Sunday, AFP journalists heard a series of blasts. The head of Tehran's traffic police Ahmad Karami told IRNA news agency "heavy traffic was reported at the capital's exit points". Israel said its forces had struck the defence ministry headquarters in Tehran, where Iranian news agency Tasnim reported damage. The Israeli military also said it had struck nuclear sites, including the secretive Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), fuel tankers and other targets. The Iranian oil ministry said Israel targeted two fuel depots in the Tehran area. An AFP journalist saw a depot at Shahran, northwest of the capital, on fire. Iranian media later said that police had arrested two suspects over alleged links to Israel's Mossad spy agency. On Sunday, the Israeli military warned Iranians to evacuate areas near weapons facilities nationwide. "The Zionist regime crossed a new red line in international law" by "attacking nuclear facilities", Araghchi told foreign diplomats, according to state TV. "If the aggression stops, naturally our responses will also stop," he added. 'More fiercely' Araghchi also condemned on Sunday Israel's attack a day earlier on a major gas facility operating at South Pars, the world's largest known gas reserve located off of Iran's southern Bushehr province. Iran scrapped nuclear talks with the US planned for Sunday, saying it was "meaningless" to negotiate while under fire. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Sunday they had struck sites used by Israeli warplanes for refuelling. The Guards in a statement vowed to respond "more fiercely and more broadly" if Israel keeps up its deadly campaign. Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels also said they had launched several missiles at Israel in attacks that were "coordinated with the operations carried out by the Iranian military". AFP
