35 m. ago Pope Francis hailed as ‘unflinching global champion’ on climate crisis

Officials and campaigners from around world pay tribute to pontiff who put environment at heart of his papacyPope Francis, groundbreaking Jesuit pontiff, dies aged 88He declared destroying the environment a sin, warned that humanity was turning the glorious creation of God into a “polluted wasteland full of debris, desolation and filth”, and located the cause of the climate crisis in people’s “selfish and boundless thirst for power”.The messages Pope Francis delivered on the climate and environmental crises were forceful and direct. He called the leaders of fossil fuel companies into the Vatican to hold them to account; declared a global climate emergency, in 2019; and in his final months, held a conference on “the economics of the common good”. Continue reading...

Events

35 m. ago Dedham Vale: the Essex beauty spot offering picture perfect country homes for less than the Cotswolds

You can find your dream country home far more cheaply if you head east to this Essex beauty spot than west in more famous areas like the Cotswolds

Politics

39 m. ago Cardinals to meet in Rome in preparation for funeral of Pope Francis

Funeral should be held between the fourth and sixth days after the pope’s death, with heads of state and royalty expected to attendCardinals will meet on Tuesday to decide the date for Pope Francis’s funeral, starting a process that will culminate in the election of a new Catholic leader.The pope, the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, died at his home in the Vatican on Monday aged 88 after suffering a stroke. He had been recovering from double pneumonia that saw him hospitalised for five weeks. Continue reading...

Politics

80 m. ago From 'conclave' to 'white smoke,' a glossary of terms used in a papal transition

A change in popes is a complicated process, with centuries-old rituals involving the transition in leadership for both the spiritual head of the global Catholic Church and the Vatican’s head of state

Events

86 m. ago Pope Francis' conservative critics had a unique way to oppose him: a retired pontiff

Every pope has his critics

Culture

92 m. ago NHS investigation after worker poses for pic in hospital mortuary

Amelie Warnier's raunchy picture is now being investigated by Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs her workplace Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex

Economics

93 m. ago Pope Francis latest: Cardinals gather to discuss funeral plans after Vatican confirms the cause of death

A statement released by the Holy See said his death was confirmed using an echocardiogram

Economics

95 m. ago ‘A signal of simplicity’: Pope Francis’s funeral will be his final humble gesture

One of pontiff’s last acts was to simplify papal rites, stripping away elaborate rituals and scaling back processionLatest updates: tributes paid after Pope Francis dies aged 88When the late Pope Francis stepped on to the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to give his first speech as leader of the Catholic church in March 2013, he cast away formality by dressing in simple white robes instead of the regal ermine-trimmed cape usually worn by newly elected pontiffs.The next day, Francis – a name chosen in honour of Francis of Assisi, the Italian saint who renounced a life of luxury to help the poor – returned to the Rome hotel in which he had stayed before the conclave to pick up his luggage and pay his bill. He substituted a plush apostolic apartment for a simple room within the Vatican walls and, unlike his predecessors, did not spend his summers in Castel Gandolfo, an opulent 12th-century fortress close to Rome. Continue reading...

Politics

95 m. ago GPs in poor parts of England are paid £5,500 less a year than in wealthy areas, study finds

Report analysed data from 8,500 doctors over 2015-21 and also found pressures on GPs were higher in deprived areasPatient satisfaction with GP services in England has collapsed, research findsGPs working in the most deprived areas in England are paid an average salary £5,525 less a year than their counterparts working in wealthier areas, according to a study.The report, by researchers at the University of Manchester and published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, analysed data from more than 8,500 GPs between 2015 and 2021 in the GP work life survey. Continue reading...

Economics

2 h. ago Australians start voting in general elections as pope's death overshadows campaigning

Australians have begun voting at general elections as campaigning is overshadowed by the death of Pope Francis

Politics

3 h. ago How Pope Francis changed the Catholic church, and what happens next – podcast

Just hours after wishing the world a happy Easter, the 267th head of the Roman Catholic church passed away. What was his legacy and who will take his place? Catherine Pepinster reportsPope Francis was working until the end. On Easter Sunday, the 88-year-old head of the Catholic church offered an Easter greeting to the crowds in St Peter’s Square who had gathered for mass. By the next morning, after months battling pneumonia and bronchitis, he had passed away.From the beginning, the first Latin American pope wanted his papacy to be different. Catherine Pepinster, the former editor of the Tablet, says one of his first notable actions was to go to a prison, rather than a church, to wash people’s feet in the traditional Maundy Thursday rite. It was typical of a pontiff who refused many of the luxuries of his predecessors – from giving up an apartment in the papal palace to only wearing simple leather shoes. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Weeping mourners come together at vigils across the globe for Pope Francis in the wake of his death aged 88

Thousands of mourners have tonight gathered for a Rosary prayer vigil in front of St Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, to commemorate the life of Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88. 

Events

4 h. ago Recap: The senior Catholic candidates who 'could undo Pope Francis's progressive legacy' if elected

MAILONLINE BLOG: Follow live updates and reaction as the Vatican announces the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88.

Politics

4 h. ago Marjorie Taylor Greene slammed for 'evil' tweet after Pope Francis' death

Republican congresswoman and conspiracy spouter Marjorie Taylor Greene is not known for her classy comments, but her latest X post has caused outrage across the globe

Events

5 h. ago Returned to the house of the Father: After his final blessing on Easter Sunday, the frail Pope dies of a stroke. Now a battle for the Catholic Church's future begins

As the world united in mourning, manoeuvring began in Rome over the contest to shape the Church over the next decade and guide its billion-plus adherents.

Events

5 h. ago Leonardo DiCaprio pays emotional tribute to Pope Francis after his death at 88

Pope Francis died Monday at age 88 following a stroke, which led to a coma and heart failure, and celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Lionel Messi, have paid tribute to the man

Events

6 h. ago Leonardo DiCaprio breaks silence on Pope Francis' death at 88 as he reflects on fateful 2016 meeting

Leonardo DiCaprio has paid emotional tribute to Pope Francis after the Vatican announced his death on Easter Monday aged 88.

Events

6 h. ago Cardinals to meet for first time since Pope’s death to confirm funeral details

Pope Francis, 88, died after a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure.

Events

6 h. ago Inside Conclave: The cardinals seen as contenders to be the next pope after Francis's death

Former US president Joe Biden has said Pope Francis will be remembered as “one of the most consequential leaders of our time”.

Events

7 h. ago Pope Francis’s will in full: Pontiff’s final wishes and place of burial

Alongside the will, the Vatican announced the pope died following a stroke that led to irreversible heart failure

Politics