The conclave's choice is clear: uphold Francis's legacy or roll back on it

For Catholics who cherished Pope Francis's relentless defence of the dignity of migrants and minorities, the footage of his deeply awkward meeting with JD Vance on Easter Sunday made for unsettling viewing.

Gaza faces catastrophe as aid runs out and prices soar

Soaring prices of basic food-stuffs, diminishing stocks of medical supplies and sharp cuts to aid distribution threaten newly catastrophic conditions across Gaza, Palestinians and international aid officials in the battered territory are warning.

Activists and artists create new way to regenerate 'City of Gold'

Bethabile Mavis Mangele mops the veranda of the house she has lived in for most of the past 40 years.

How 'embodied AI' is reshaping daily life in China

Xi Jinping sees artificial intelligence as key to restoring confidence in the private sector and upgrading the nation’s military strength

May the force be with you

Not so long ago people would be excited by a new Star Wars show or Lord of the Rings saga squeezed on to the small screen. The faintest whisper of the forthcoming Harry Potter series would have set the internet ablaze. Now some of the most untouchable franchises are in trouble. Luke Holland asks, is there any route back for them?

When in Rome The meaning of Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy

The US president may or may not have had an epiphany about Putin but the optics were dramatic nonetheless

Would Joan Didion have welcomed the publication of her therapy notes?

Joan Didion entered the fray on the publication of Ernest Hemingway’s unfinished final manuscript in an essay titled Last Words in 1998: “You think something is in shape to be published or you don’t, and Hemingway didn’t,” she wrote.

Cutting crew Is the chaos unleashed by Musk's Doge on the wane?

\"This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy!\" screamed Elon Musk, wielding the power tool before a cheering crowd at a rightwing political conference. The tech titan promised to slice and dice the US federal government and save taxpayers a trillion dollars. Oozing confidence, the world's richest person seemed unstoppable.

Feelers out Smuggling bust exposes a booming trade in ants

Poaching busts are familiar territory for the officers of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), an armed force tasked with protecting the country's iconic creatures.

"They won't break us' Canadians decide Carney is the man for a unique crisis

Mark Carney issued a rallying cry to Canadians under threat from Donald Trump, after a remarkable landmark triumph in the country's federal election on Monday.

Grazie Francesco: crowds cheer for 'pope of the people'

As bells tolled and the coffin emerged from the gloom of the basilica, a solemn hush fell across St Peter's Square, but the crowd itched to break it.

Fin frontier: Why fish farms on the moon may be closer than you think

The Lunar Hatch project is studying whether aquaculture might be able to provide a source of protein for astronauts on space missions

Vigil draws on Filipino 'bayanihan' spirit after car attack

The vigil drew a crowd so large that police in Vancouver had to move the crime scene barriers back so that people would not spill out on to the busy traffic along 41st Avenue. “It’s amazing. It’s really a show of how important the Filipino community is just very broadly,” said Chelsea Brager.

The 89% project Climate action is popular. Why don't most people realise it?

The Guardian is joining forces with dozens of newsrooms to highlight the fact that the vast majority of the world's population wants climate action.

THE DIRTIEST RACE IN HISTORY

How did the 2012 Olympics women's 1500m get its reputation? Athletes cheated out of medals discuss what happened - and how the results unravelled

Why won't my struggling pals come to live with me?

I'm in the fortunate position of owning my own home and some land without a mortgage (in a very affordable and somewhat remote area), and every week I hear more stories from friends about their struggles to get by. We’re all in our 30s, but I feel as if my stress levels are infinitely lower than theirs. I’ve offered to let people stay rent-free so they can save for a house, or even put a mobile home on the land. But I feel I’m barely making a difference.

A massacre in Kashmir and fury on the streets of India

For Sunil Singh, there is only one way for India to respond to last week's attack by militants in Kashmir.

Game of chance A victory that owes much to circumstance- and to Trump

Mark Carney, the economist, banker and politician, has long professed a simple article of faith when navigating through crisis: “A plan beats no plan.”

Identity crisis

An actor's story becomes an exercise in the uncanny and a radical deconstruction of relationships and the social roles we play

I AM NOT WHO YOU THINK I AM

How a deep-cover KGB spy recruited his own son

Harvard v Trump is latest front in right's war on academia

The showdown between Donald Trump and Harvard University may have exploded into life last week, but the battle represents just the latest step in a decades-long war waged by the right on American academia.

A linguistic feast

The author traces her family history through her quest to keep Judaeo-Arabic words, food and culture alive

Talks progress as Moscow gains key role in nuclear deal

Russia could play a key role in a deal on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme, with Moscow being touted not only as a possible destination for Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, but also as a possible arbiter of deal breaches.

Super troupers!

How do stars of long- running hits keep the pizzazz pumping? Theatre's epic endurance performers reveal how they keep the magic alive

Total siege Aid blockade creates crisis 'unmatched in severity'

Gaza has been pushed to new depths of despair, civilians, medics and humanitarian workers say, by the Israeli military blockade that has cut off all aid to the territory.

Music can heal us - but it doesn't need to have a purpose

A string of books and a new radio station beg the question: cant we just listen to music for music's sake?

Trump's attack on Harvard won't foster more diversity of debate

Few people want to live in an echo chamber.

A simple goodbye for a humble pontiff for the people

Pope Francis died of a stroke and subsequent heart failure, the Vatican said in a statement, revealing that the pontiff had requested to be buried in a simple, unadorned tomb.

'A sigh of relief' Ruling allows UK politicians to dodge tricky questions

For all the negative stereotypes, many politicians are thoughtful, diligent, and caring.

Reversal of fortune

Is it Mark Carney's election to lose? Earlier in the year, the Liberal party was in the doldrums, then Donald Trump made a move on Canadian sovereignty