133 cardinals begin papal conclave in Rome

All 133 Catholic cardinals eligible to vote for the new pope have arrived in Rome ahead of the conclave which began on Wednesday.

The group, summoned after Pope Francis's death on April 21, is the largest and most international ever, representing 70 countries across five continents.

Cardinals were locked into the Sistine Chapel shortly after 17:45 (15:45 GMT) under strict rules against contacting the outside world until a new pope is elected.

The conclave saw cardinals cast ballots on Wednesday and Thursday, with black smoke signaling that no candidate had secured the two-thirds majority required to be elected pontiff.

Cardinals will continue voting in hopes of finding consensus, reflecting divisions within the Church over progressive versus conservative traditions and challenges such as geopolitical uncertainty and ongoing issues related to clerical child abuse.