Sam Jones

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Harriet Sherwood |Sam Jones

Predicting the outcome of the highly secretive papal conclave is near impossible as cardinals’ positions shift over successive votes and some try to game the system to influence the chances of their favoured – or least-favoured – candidates. In the last conclave in 2013, few predicted that Jorge Mario Bergoglio would be elected as Pope Francis.

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Lorenzo Tondo |Harriet Sherwood |Sam Jones

Pope Francis announced his pastoral intentions from the very beginning of his papacy, saying he preferred a church that was “bruised, hurting and dirty” from being on the streets to one that was cautious and complacent. Although he never strayed from doctrine – to the annoyance of many optimistic liberals – his 12 years as pope were marked by a deliberate embrace of those historically on the margins of the church and society.

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Jennifer Rankin |Sam Jones

The EU has suspended its retaliatory 25% tariffs on US goods for 90 days after Donald Trump’s dramatic climbdown in his trade war. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said the EU would put on hold for 90 days the countermeasures – 25% tariffs on €21bn (£18bn) of US goods – that it had agreed on Wednesday. “We want to give negotiations a chance,” she said.

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Jakub Krupa |Sam Jones |Andrew Roth

'Unconditional withdrawal' of Russian troops one of main preconditions for lifting sanctions, EU saysEuropean Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Photograph: Yves Herman/ReutersThe European Commission responded to reports of Russia seeking sanctions relief as part of a maritime ceasefire in Ukraine, saying today that one of its main precondition would be to see “the unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces” from Ukraine.

2 months ago | theguardian.com | Rebecca Ratcliffe |Sam Jones

Rodrigo Duterte is expected to make his first appearance at the international criminal court (ICC) on Friday, as the former Philippines president faces crimes against humanity charges over his deadly “war on drugs”. The court said in a statement late on Thursday that it “considers it appropriate” for Duterte to appear Friday at 2pm local time (1pm GMT). At the hearing, the 79-year-old will be informed of the crimes he is alleged to have committed, as well as his rights as a defendant.