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The Vatican's Santa Marta guesthouse has 128 rooms. From 7 May, it will be filled with cardinals participating in the conclave to elect the next Pope. But one room in the guesthouse is still sealed with a red ribbon, as it has been since its occupant died there on Easter Monday.

That suite will only be reopened when the new pope is chosen. The ribbon remains a tangible reminder of the man whose shoes the cardinals are looking to fill – but Pope Francis' presence looms large over this conclave in many profound ways.

He spent 12 years in the role and appointed around 80% of the cardinals who will select his successor. He also looked to radically shake up the workings of the Catholic Church, moving its centre of gravity away from its hierarchy at the Vatican in the direction of the rank-and-file faithful all over the world, and focused on the poor and marginalised.

My conversations with cardinals and those assessing the needs of the Church in the days leading to this papal election almost always end up looking at what is required through the prism of what Pope Francis did in the role.

While in recent days there appears to have been a growing coalescence around the idea that Francis' work should be built on, some of his critics remain far from convinced. So might there be enough of them to sway the vote as the Church attempts to reconcile the different outlooks and realities it faces around the globe?

A most diverse conclave

During the two weeks that followed the Pope's death, the cardinals met almost daily at the Vatican for pre-conclave gatherings known as general congregations.

While the conclave in the Sistine Chapel is limited to cardinals who haven't yet reached the age of 80 (133 will participate in this one), these preliminary meetings are open to all 252 cardinals. Each attendee was given up to five minutes to air their views, though we know that some took longer.

It was during such a meeting ahead of the last conclave of 2013, in a speech lasting less than four minutes, that Pope Francis – then known as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina – made an impact, talking of a need to connect with those in the far reaches of the Catholic world.

As Pope, he made a conscious drive to appoint cardinals from such places. It is why this is the most diverse conclave there has ever been. For the first time Cape Verde, Haiti, South Sudan, Tonga, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea and Rwanda will be represented.

That diversity has already made its mark: the pre-conclave meetings are said to have brought to the fore just how different the needs of the Church appear to be depending on where in the world they are viewed.

In Europe, for example, a primary consideration for some might be finding ways to reinvigorate and make relevant the mission of the Church in the face of shrinking congregations, whereas elsewhere – in African or Asian countries – concerns may revolve around social issues, poverty and conflict resolution.

A prospective pope is likely to be one who has at least shown recognition of those very different realities.

Spiritual leader, statesman, global influencer

The official titles that the new pope will inherit gives a sense of the breadth of the role: Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Sovereign of the State of Vatican City among them.

While some relate to the deeply spiritual, the last of those titles suggests the need for a statesman too, given that the pope is leader of a country, albeit the world's smallest.

"Unlike your average state, the agenda of the Vatican is driven to an extent by where the pope reigning at the time puts their emphasis," says Chris Trott, British ambassador to the Holy See. "On the face of it a very tiny state, [but it is] one that punches many, many times above its weight.

"And Pope Francis had 50 million followers on Twitter, so [it is] a very, very small state and an incredible global influencer."

Pope Francis chose to amplify this part of the role, becoming a powerful global spokesman on behalf of those on the margins, including the poor and victims of war.

He also tried to play the role of peacemaker, though not everyone thought he was successful in that regard, in relation to China and Russia in particular.

According to Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the most senior Catholic figure in England and Wales, this expansion of the role is one reason so many even outside the faith are invested in the outcome of the conclave.

"There is a sense that the Pope in the person of Pope Francis became a figure who addressed everybody in the world… religious people and even those who do not have a religious affiliation," he says.

"I'm more and more aware that it's not just Catholics who are interested in this."

Confusion around Pope Francis' vision

For many voting cardinals, it is primarily issues within the Catholic Church that are under the spotlight, which brings about the question of the type of pope they want as a manager, and someone who runs the Church's administrative body and its ministries.

While Pope Francis worked on improving the way the Church deals with the huge issues of sexual abuse and of financial corruption, it is his successor who will have to ensure that reforms are evenly applied across the Catholic world.

Even supporters of Pope Francis' efforts to make changes to the way the Church relates to its rank-and-file believers, and the way he built bridges with those outside the faith, were sometimes left confused about how exactly he envisioned things should work.

Pope Francis changed the tone on social issues through comments he made, talking openly about subjects ranging from climate change to financial transparency within the Vatican. But throughout his papacy, some were unclear about what he meant or how it would be applied.

One mission he had was to take some of the power and decision-making away from the Vatican hierarchy and into the hands of rank-and-file Catholics.

Over nearly four years, at great effort, he commissioned what was, in effect, a poll of many of the world's Catholics to find out what mattered to them. Lay people were invited to participate in the most recent bishop's conference where the results of the survey were discussed.

The biggest issues raised related to greater roles for women in the running of the church and welcoming LGBT+ Catholics. But the meeting ended in some confusion, with little in the form of tangible steps forward and little clarity as to how lay people will help steer the future direction of the Church.

So, there is a general keenness for greater clarity from the new pope.

An ugly divide: supporters and detractors

Throughout his pontificate, some vocal traditionalists opposed what they saw as Pope Francis straying from Church teaching and long-standing tradition.

In the pre-conclave meetings of cardinals, a number of those over the age of 80 (who because of their age would not be involved in voting) took the opportunity to play their part.

Most contributions remained secret, but one that was reported was that of 83-year-old Italian cardinal, Beniamino Stella. He criticised Pope Francis for "imposing his own ideas" by attempting to move Church governance away from the clergy.

And yet during the homily, or religious speech, at Pope Francis' funeral, what appeared to resonate with the public in attendance – judging by the volume of the applause – was talk of the themes Francis chose to champion: the dignity of migrants, an end to war, and the environment.

This applause would have been heard loud and clear by the rows of cardinals.

In some senses, Pope Francis did have clarity in focusing on the Church being relevant to people in their daily lives and, indeed, their struggles. He was clear about connecting with the world outside the faith too.

"There is a sense that in the voice of the pope, there's a voice of something that is needed," says Cardinal Nichols. "For some people it's a moral compass, for some people it's the sense of being accepted, for some people it's the insistence that we must look at things from the point of view of the poorest.

"That's a voice that has fallen silent and our task is to find someone who can carry that forward."

From the death of Pope Francis to the moment cardinals checked into the Santa Marta guesthouse and its overflow residences, there appeared to be a trend towards a desire for continuity of what Pope Francis had achieved.

Though perhaps that vision of continuity is one that could bring along more of his sceptics, in a way that was pragmatic. The word "unity" has been talked of a lot, after a period where the divides between supporters and detractors of the Pope's vision could sometimes become ugly.

But in the end, when they step into the Sistine Chapel, the holiest of voting chambers, for all the pragmatism they may have taken into consideration before they cast their ballot, they will be urged to let God and the Holy Spirit guide them.

Parents at a toddler group say they are being left with nothing in their pockets at the end of the month because of rising costs straining their family finances.

When water bills, energy prices and council tax all rose in April, the charity Citizens Advice said the finances of millions of people on the lowest incomes were "already stretched to breaking point".

Danielle Thomas, a mother at the Musical Bugs group in Newport, Shropshire, said: "Sometimes we haven't even got £20 left at the end of the month."

Ben Stanley, another parent at the group, said: "You've got to be very smart when you shop nowadays I think – it's all about pinching pennies and saving as much as you can."

Ms Thomas said her family started to see money become tight about a week before the end of the month.

She said her rent and other bills had "gone up a dramatic amount" and even shopping off brand at budget supermarkets was not enough.

Planning a holiday or saving money was not possible and even taking days out as a family has involved putting money aside well in advance, Ms Thomas added.

"A lot of the time we've had to sacrifice going some places because something's come up and we just don't have any money left," she said.

Another parents, Philippa Crumpton, said she had shopped around for a new broadband provider when costs went up and Mr Stanley said he had learned to cook in bulk to save money.

Beth Tudor said: "I'm not saving as much as I'd want to which is a bit frustrating, because there's so many other costs with having kids."

She added she was always finding "hidden costs" and struggling to afford even little things like having snacks for her children.

A proposal to put the West Midlands bus network into public ownership is widely supported, a consultation has shown.

Out of the 3,600 people who took part, including residents, businesses and organisations, 75% who expressed a preference backed bringing services under public control, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) said.

A decision by Mayor Richard Parker on whether to franchise the region's bus services is expected next week.

Under franchising plans, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the WMCA, would set the fares, timetables and routes of bus services and award contracts to private operators to run them.

The WMCA said the privately-operated network had struggled with rising costs and the authority was currently spending more than £50m a year to prevent services being cut and fares increased.

Parker said: "Despite getting millions of pounds in taxpayers money each year, the bus network is still letting people down.

"Passengers tell me services are unreliable and don't always offer the routes or timetables they need."

He said bringing buses under public control would help reduce traffic congestion, clean up the air, support businesses and keep the region moving.

One-off costs are expected to be £22.5m over three years to make the transition.

Costs of purchasing and leasing depots and buses would pass to TfWM, and funding would come from the authority's transport grants or low-cost borrowing, financed through fare income, a report said.

If the move is approved, the rollout of franchised bus services is expected to begin in 2027.

A closure order has been served on a house in a village near Scarborough after reports of criminal and anti-social behaviour linked to the address, police said.

Anyone entering 15 Church Beck Cottages in Cloughton over the next three months would breach the order and could face up to a year in prison, North Yorkshire Police said.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Emma Collins said closure orders were only used when there were "significant, ongoing issues affecting the community".

She said: "We have to show the court that a case meets tough criteria, and we use them alongside other policing approaches too."

The closure order was imposed at York Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

Closure orders were an "excellent way to disrupt criminal and antisocial behaviour", Insp Collins said.

"And most importantly, residents in the wider community tell us they make a huge difference to their quality of life."

The driver in the only all-female rally team competing in a Manx event in aid of a breast cancer support group has said it was a way of remembering her mother who died of the disease.

Louise Thomas and co-driver Roz Dawson are among 150 teams taking on the Manx Rally, which sees competitors complete 120 miles (193km) over 18 stages.

Ms Thomas is aiming to raise £1,000 for local charity Breast Cancer Support Group after losing her "best friend" before surviving the condition herself four years ago.

She said the weekend was a way of combining rallying, a passion she gained from her father, with honouring her mother's memory.

Christine Thomas was diagnoses with cancer in 2001 at the age of 49 and died six years later, and it was 14 years after that that Ms Thomas was also diagnosed with breast cancer.

But she said she had been "extremely lucky" as her tumour had been detected "very early".

She said: "Losing my mum changed my life hugely, I was very lucky to have a mum that I called my best friend", she said.

That experience, along while her own treatment, on the island, had inspired her to raise funds for the local support group, she said.

Ms Thomas moved to the island from the Isle of Mull, where she had worked as a palliative care nurse, 18 months ago after competing in the Manx Rally for eight years.

She originally rook up the sport in 2000 as a co-driver, moving into the driving seat seven years later.

At this year's event, the mini Girls Rally Team will be competing in a 1994 Classic Mini, which was given to her by her father Dave Thomas, who had also used it to rally himself.

She raising the money was a way of saying thank you to the charity, and raising awareness that there was a "fantastic" breast cancer support service on the island.

As a survivor of the disease Ms Thomas said she wanted to show that she was "out here living my life doing something crazy".

Taking part in rallying had become a passion because of the "adrenaline, the speed and the comradery".

"I am not the quickest, but the aim for me is to get to the end and have as much fun as we can", she said.

The Manx Rally begins at the Grand Stand in Douglas at 11:00 and runs until Saturday afternoon.

A charity working with victims of sexual violence is calling for action to stop vulnerable women being housed in emergency accommodation with men.

Devon Rape Crisis & Sexual Abuse Services said it was "deeply concerned" by reports women fleeing domestic and sexual violence in Torbay were not always housed in female-only accommodation.

Chief executive Dr Davina Cull said: "Many of these women have experienced extreme trauma at the hands of men. Being placed in mixed-sex settings can feel unsafe, retraumatising."

A government spokesman said: "It's clear local authorities should ensure sufficient, suitable support in safe accommodation is available to meet the needs of domestic abuse victims."

Dr Cull said women needed access to trauma-informed, women-only spaces where they could begin to heal in safety and dignity.

"Emergency housing must not add to the harm these women have already endured," she said.

She urged the government to "commit proper, sustained funding to ensure safe, specialist accommodation is available across the country".

Leigh, a survivor of domestic abuse, who works at Patchwork House Women's Centre in Torquay, said several women had spoken of their traumatic experiences while living in mixed-sex accommodation.

"We have had women in a shared house who won't leave their bedroom because they are fearful of coming out to men drunk or on drugs, or to inappropriate sexual innuendos," she said.

Leigh said in some cases women had been placed in emergency accommodation with a large number of men.

"For women who have fled and need safety and support, being housed with multiple men is traumatising and really affects them mentally," she said.

She added that the women needed a safe space to recover from what they had been through but were being further traumatised.

Psychiatrist Dr Karina Da Cunha said that, in her role as an independent practitioner in Torbay, she had worked with women fleeing abuse and had witnessed their deterioration after they were housed with men.

"In one case, the patient stopped eating, drinking, and was so afraid she started barricading her door. She even tried to take her own life," said Dr Da Cunha.

She said she had urged Torbay Council to re-house the patient urgently but this did not happen.

When she re-visited the patient 18 months later, she did not recognise the person she had been trying to help.

"She was psychotic and confused and she had lost a lot of weight. She had even cut her hair to look like a man to protect herself."

'Dangerous and traumatising'

Amanda Greenwood is chief executive of Trevi, a charity based in the South West of England which supports more than 1,000 women and children every year.

She said: "Placing women who have fled domestic abuse into mixed or male-only accommodation is not just unsuitable; it's dangerous and deeply retraumatising.

"For many women, these environments mirror the unsafe and violent circumstances they have fled, compounding their trauma and undermining their chances of recovery.

"We need to ensure that every woman fleeing domestic violence has access to accommodation that truly meets her needs."

A spokesperson for The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the reports of vulnerable women being housed with men were "extremely concerning".

"We are clear that local authorities should ensure sufficient, suitable support in safe accommodation is available to meet the needs of domestic abuse victims who need to flee their homes, and that any shared safe accommodation should be single sex."

The government said it has increased funding to local authorities to £160 million for 2025-26, an uplift of £30 million from the previous year, to provide further support in safe accommodation for domestic abuse survivors.

'High demand'

Torbay Council said it was committed to providing safe accommodation for people who were homeless due to fleeing domestic abuse.

A spokesperson said: "Where possible, we try to provide supported accommodation with Torbay Domestic Abuse Service (TDAS) or self-contained accommodation which is either owned or contracted by the council.

"Due to high levels of homelessness and demand placed on our temporary accommodation provision, we must sometimes secure additional accommodation units such as hotel accommodation, to meet our duties to homeless households.

"In urgent cases, where there has been no opportunity to plan accommodation in advance, sometimes the only option available is to provide hotel accommodation.

"The housing team review temporary accommodation placements daily to ensure those in hotel accommodation are moved to more suitable accommodation within our own provision as soon as possible."

A man has been left with potentially life-changing injuries after being stabbed in a city centre park.

Avon and Somerset Police said officers had been called by the ambulance service to Newtown Park, near Hassell Drive, in St Phillips, Bristol, at about 23:30 BST on Thursday.

The victim, in his 20s, said he had been attacked by three men who left the scene on bikes.

An investigation is under way with a cordon sealing off the park through which the Bristol and Bath Railway Path runs. Anyone with information has been asked to contact police.

The first full-length trailer for Wicked's forthcoming sequel has been released, offering fans a glimpse of how the Wizard of Oz spin-off will conclude.

Wicked: For Good will see Cynthia Erivo return as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, alongside Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good Witch of the North.

The sequel picks up where the first film left off and covers the years after Elphaba and Glinda's decision to part ways.

Elphaba is now an enemy of the state of Oz, while Glinda has become a public figure controlled by the Wizard.

The new trailer shows Glinda's bedroom window cracking. She goes outside to her balcony to search for Elphaba, who then appears next to her from the shadows.

It also teases the arrival of Dorothy – seen walking down the yellow brick road with her friends – suggesting the character might have a bigger role in the films than in the musical. But the actress who plays her has not yet been revealed.

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At another point in the trailer, Elphaba is seen writing the phrase "Our wizard lies" in the clouds above Oz using her broom stick. But her unpopularity is emphasised in one scene showing an angry mob carrying torches through the streets as they look for her.

Other highlights include Elphaba receiving a handwritten note from Glinda reading: "I hope you get what your heart desires."

The trailer ends with Elphaba saying she's "off to see the Wizard" before flying on a broom into the distance with her winged monkeys.

Director Jon M Chu told Vanity Fair: "Our heart was broken when Glinda can't make the choice that we want her to so badly at the end of movie one, and it feels empowering for Elphaba to fly away from society.

"In movie two, we get to see the consequences of those choices. The temperature is up."

The films have been adapted from the hugely successful Broadway and West End musical, which itself was based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel.

However, the stage musical was split into two films for its big-screen adaptation, with the second due to be released on 21 November.

The two movies were shot simultaneously at Sky Studios Elstree in Hertfordshire between December 2022 and January 2024, with production interrupted mid-way through by the Hollywood actors' strike.

Wicked was the highest-grossing movie of 2024 in the UK, and scored 10 Oscar nominations – winning two for best costume and production design.

At two hours 40 minutes, the first film alone was almost as long as the entire length of the stage show.

Part of a village was cordoned off after a suspected bomb was found in a river.

The object was found by a person magnet fishing – which involves dangling a magnet attached to a rope into water to locate metallic finds – in the River Bure off Station Road in Hoveton, near Wroxham, on the Norfolk Broads, at about 13:40 BST on Saturday.

Norfolk Police placed a 100m (340ft) cordon at the scene and closed the road.

The cordon was lifted at about 16:50 after the Army's explosive ordnance disposal team from Colchester assessed the object and established it was not an unexploded ordnance device, police said.

The idea for the team came about after the island previously entered a five-a-side competition and realised there were more potential players.

However, the Papa Westray squad has to overcome a number of difficulties for any 11-a-side clashes.

The island has no football pitch so the team will have to travel by ferry to a different island – nearby Westray – in order to play a "home" match.

Meanwhile, training has been taking place indoors – or on a small five-a-side pitch near the island's only school.

For its first match, a special sailing was put on to take the team and supporters to the game and back.

The second leg of the tie will be played later in May where the team hopes to score its first goal.

Centre-half and team manager Alistair said that despite the defeat it was a special occasion for his family – which made up nearly half the team – and the island.

"It meant a lot I must admit," he said.

"Going out to the pitch – a great sense of pride because it is a small island, there is only about 80 folk here.

"We lost quite heavily but actually the game was surprisingly good and having three sons and a grandson – it was one of those days you will never forget."

Grandson Aidan said that they had worked well together.

"I got a bit of abuse from my grandad – but it was good playing with them," he joked.

"Obviously dad has played with me out in the garden a good bit and in a five-a-side team so it's no different with an 11-a-side team, apart from a few extra folk."

Alison Hourston was at the match to support her husband Shane – and the rest of the family – along with children Alma and Archie.

She said: "I am getting very emotional about it all.

"I have been jumping up and down I have been very vocal – I think they are doing good.

"I am really proud of them, I am proud of them all."

'Discussed tactics'

Resident Alan Sharp, also spectating, said the game had really captured the island's imagination.

"We've been talking about it every Saturday in the pub for the last three months," he said.

"So it has been discussed as a project and then discussed as tactics and now they are here."

Papa Westray is best known for being the destination for the world's shortest scheduled flight.

The 1.7 mile (2.7km) flight between Westray and Papa Westray takes about two minutes to complete – including taxiing.