The Turkish man who shot Pope John Paul II offered in 2000 to capture al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and planed to kill the late Syrian President Hafez Assad, a Turkish newspaper reported today, printing what it said were letters the gunman wrote.

A military hospital that pronounced the Turk who shot Pope John Paul II unfit for military service determined that he had an “anti-social” personality, a newspaper reported today.

Workers scaled the roof of the Sistine Chapel today and attached the chimney pipe from which white smoke will billow to alert the world that a new pope has been elected, as the Vatican made final preparations for Monday’s conclave.

In the spirit of secrecy during the week before their conclave to elect a pope, cardinals are supposed to keep a low profile. That has not happened for German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

Clutching rosaries, medals and flowers, thousands of people filed past the simple white marble tomb of Pope John Paul today, as the Vatican re-opened the grottoes beneath St Peter’s Basilica.

Mel Gibson is reportedly set to turn Pope John Paul II's story into a Hollywood movie.

In the greedy world of spam e-mail and electronic fraud, nothing is sacred - not even the death of Pope John Paul.

The death of Pope John Paul has boosted interest in The Da Vinci Code novelist Dan Brown, an author who has been attacked by a leading cardinal for offending the Catholic church.

The world’s Catholics are looking to the College of Cardinals to begin the difficult task of choosing a worthy successor to Pope John Paul II today, as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who filled Rome to bursting for the pontiff’s funeral began their journey home.

Several thousand people gathered at the papal cross in Dublin's Phoenix Park this evening for a Sunset Service of Remembrance for Pope John Paul II.

Presidents, prime ministers and kings were returning to their own nations tonight after the funeral of one remarkable man had drawn millions to Rome for the largest gathering of the powerful and the humble in modern times.

Today’s emotionally-charged funeral of Pope John Paul II in Rome was an incomparable occasion and a privilege at which to represent Irish people, President Mary McAleese said today.

Two Italian F16 jet fighters intercepted a suspicious plane heading to Rome’s Ciampino airport today, hours after the pope’s funeral, and escorted to a local airport.

The Prince of Wales shook hands with the Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe at the Pope’s funeral today.

A remarkable collection of world leaders and royalty rubbed shoulders today at John Paul’s funeral, with only an alphabetical seating plan to divide heads of state whose relations could be frosty or even non-existent.

Thousands of people are expected to attend a remembrance ceremony for Pope John Paul II in Dublin's Phoenix Park this evening.

Presidents, prime ministers and kings joined pilgrims and prelates in St Peter’s Square today to bid farewell to Pope John Paul at a funeral service that drew millions to Rome for one of the largest religious gatherings in the West of modern times.

Throngs of pilgrims waved Polish flags, recited the rosary and sang hymns as they packed the cobblestone streets leading up to the Vatican today to bid an emotional farewell to Pope John Paul.

Up to five million people, including scores of world leaders, have gathered in Rome for the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

The majority if Catholic schools in Ireland are expected to close today to mark the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe arrived in Rome to attend the funeral of Pope John II, sidestepping a European Union travel ban because it does not apply to the Vatican.

The Vatican shut the doors of St Peter’s Basilica tonight, ending four days of visits by pilgrims who streamed past the remains of Pope John Paul II, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Organisers of the Sunset Remembrance service for Pope John Paul II tonight called on people of all faiths to join the commemoration.

Tucked behind ancient walls and iron gates, Vatican City is protected by Swiss Guards armed with sabres, a small but efficient secret service packing handguns and a special Italian police corps.

A delegation to Pope John Paul II’s funeral headed by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and President Mary McAleese today left for Rome.

Pope John Paul considered resigning at the beginning of the new millennium when he was 80, his spiritual testament reveals.

Paulina Slusarska always wanted to go to the Vatican to see Poland’s favourite son, Pope John Paul, but kept putting it off.

The Chinese government said today it won’t send an envoy to Pope John Paul II’s funeral due to the Vatican’s diplomatic relations with rival Taiwan.

President Robert Mugabe defied a European Union travel ban and flew from Zimbabwe unannounced to join world leaders attending Pope John Paul II’s funeral in Rome, state radio announced today.

The President, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste are all due to travel to Rome today for the funeral of Pope John Paul II, which takes place tomorrow.

Disappointed pilgrims were blocked by police from viewing Pope John Paul II’s body, as overwhelmed authorities tried to clear the last million mourners already in line before tomorrow’s funeral.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will join President Mary McAleese at the head of the Irish delegation to the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Rome, it emerged today.

Overwhelmed Italian officials said they will cut off the queue of pilgrims hoping to see Pope John Paul’s body at St Peter’s Basilica tonight as a massive line snaked down a wide boulevard, through ancient alleyways and onto a bridge.

The College of Cardinals today set April 18 as the date for the historic start of the conclave to elect a successor to Pope John Paul.

Hundreds of people queued from early afternoon yesterday to attend a memorial Mass for Pope John Paul II at Dublin's Pro-Cathedral.

The Pope’s death has deprived the Irish people of his final message to them, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern heard tonight.

About two million Poles are expected to travel to Rome for the funeral of Polish-born Pope John Paul, the Foreign Ministry said today.

Huge groups of pilgrims, students and clergy poured out of buses at St Peter’s Square today, joining queues that stretched miles through the surrounding streets to wait for a brief glimpse of Pope John Paul’s body.

A clergyman, at the centre of a storm over mimicking the ailing Pope, almost provoked a walkout when he told jokes about the Pontiff at a previous function, it emerged tonight.

The College of Cardinals met for a second day of talks today to prepare for the conclave to elect a successor to Pope John Paul as tens of thousands of mourners streamed past the late pontiff’s crimson-robed body as it lay in state in St Peter’s Basilica.

China today rejected ties between the nation’s Catholics and the Vatican, indicating that Beijing has not budged on a key issue in their split despite expressing hope for better relations following the death of Pope John Paul.

The identity of a cardinal Pope John Paul selected in 2003 but never publicly identified is still a mystery – at least for another day, the Vatican said.

The Catholic Church in Ireland has called on schools to arrange for pupils to attend religious services for the Pope this Friday.

The College of Cardinals met for a second day of talks in the Vatican to prepare for the conclave to elect a successor to Pope John Paul.