A high-profile figure has declared readiness for direct negotiations with a controversial counterpart to pursue a peaceful outcome, an approach deemed promising by Britain and the West.

A new pontiff has been elected in an unusually swift conclave, marking a historic first with an American taking the papal seat.

The singer died without a will, leaving an estimated £24million to his eight-year-old son Bear.

A woman previously bereaved by a partner’s fatal motorcycle crash has suffered another heartbreak following a second racing accident, prompting widespread sympathy from the community.