First Minister Michelle O'Neill will travel to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. She will join political leaders including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin and Scotland's First Minister John Swinney at the ceremony.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill is hoping to attend the Pope's funeral in Rome tomorrow, after cutting short a family holiday in the hopes of being present. Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, meanwhile, has confirmed she will not be attending.

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill has praised Pope Francis’s “unwavering commitment to justice and peace”.Ms O’Neill has confirmed she will travel to Rome to join leaders from across the world for the pontiff’s funeral on Saturday.