Cardinals will meet next month in a secret conclave to elect the next pope, the Vatican has said. The closed-door meeting will start inside the Sistine Chapel on 7 May and will involve some 135 cardinals from across the world. It follows the death of Pope Francis who died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday and whose funeral was held on Saturday.

The world's Catholic cardinals met on Monday for the first time after the funeral of Pope Francis to discuss a possible date to enter a secret conclave and elect the next leader of the global Church.