The conditions that families in Gaza are being forced to endure are beyond what any of us could imagine in our worst nightmares, and the world has greeted that unprecedented suffering with a shrug.

As the conclave begins today three cardinals who work in some of the world&s most dangerous places may dominate considerations when it comes to selecting a successor to Pope Francis. This is their story.

Russian forces intercepted more than 100 Ukrainian drones fired at almost a dozen regions of Russia in an attack that forced all four airports around Moscow to temporarily suspend flights, the Defence Ministry in Moscow has said.

An appeal to pray for other cardinals as the secret voting process to elect a new pope begins, was made by one of the most senior in their ranks.