French Government Seeks €15 Billion Fraud Recovery, Plans New Healthcare Taxes

Robert Prevost, a Chicago-born missionary and archbishop with dual U.S. and Peruvian citizenship, has been elected as the new pope, taking the name Leo XIV and becoming the first American pope in history. In his inaugural statement, Pope Leo XIV emphasized peace, dialogue, and missionary evangelism, speaking in Italian among other languages. U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former President Trump, publicly congratulated the new pontiff, highlighting the significance of his election amid the 2025 Jubilee year and discussing potential meetings between the White House and the Vatican. The election of Pope Leo XIV represents a historic moment for the Catholic Church, which counts 1.4 billion followers worldwide. The announcement coincided with other major political developments such as the signing of a new U.S.-UK trade deal and ongoing political shifts in Australia. Meanwhile, governments continue to address separate domestic issues like tax fraud recovery targets in France and local policy debates in the U.S. and Australia, though these are unrelated to the papal election.