Hubristic Trump is due a reality check
After 100 days in which opposition has been non-existent, some of the normal rules of politics will start to apply.
The Times
Cardinals attack Pope’s liberal legacy in pre-conclave talks
Cardinals have criticised the record of the late Pope Francis at closed-door meetings before the conclave next week to elect a new pontiff.
Madrid, grid operator play the blame game over blackout
Spain’s prime minister has accused the country’s electricity companies of ‘excessive opacity’ over the power blackout that paralysed the Iberian peninsula.
Trump’s ice maiden freezes Musk out of the West Wing
Elon Musk is no longer based at the White House and mainly stays in touch by phone, chief of staff Susie Wiles revealed.
Reform’s rapid ascent offers risk and reward
The UK’s local elections are set to be historic, marking the arrival of Nigel Farage’s party as a serious political contender. And that’s where the problems may begin.
‘Doomed to fail’: Blair condemns ‘irrational’ net-zero policies
The former UK Prime Minister criticised attempts to phase out fossil fuels in the short term, arguing that the ‘inconvenient facts’ were that the production and demand for them was rising.
Name tags, CVs: how conclave gets to know the newbie cardinals
Many of the cardinals set to vote are first-timers arriving from far-flung countries. In between Vatican meetings, they can be spotted in the streets and gossiping in restaurants and ice cream bars as they get to know each other.
Pakistan prepares for ‘imminent’ Indian attack
Pakistan is reinforcing troops, with the country’s defence minister claiming India’s rhetoric has been escalating in the days since a terrorist attack in Kashmir raised the threat of war.
Has Russia really kicked Ukraine out of Kursk?
As Putin prepares to celebrate Victory Day, talk of triumph on the border may be premature.
Don’t panic! Here’s how to see off Reform
Labour and Tories can both counter Farage but they’ll have to get tough on migration and restore pride in Britain
First 100 days: Trump tears the global order to shreds
Few have spent more time than Frank Luntz trying to understand what drives Donald Trump’s fervent support and what his presidency means for the future.
Cardinals to convene for decision on start of conclave
Thousands of mourners queue to visit Pope Francis’s tomb at the Basilica of St Mary Major, as the process of finding his successor begins.
I wake up wishing I don’t live in the past’
After she became a household name Virginia Giuffre disappeared from public view, moving to a small community in WA with her husband and children, though they were recently estranged. Her experiences, however, continued to hound her.
Land deal is the only choice, US warns Zelensky
President Donald Trump may meet the Ukrainian leader in Rome, on the margins of Pope Francis’s funeral, as pressure is piled on Kyiv to accept loss of territory.
Queen’s producer overdubbed his way to history
The producer of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Roy Thomas Baker, was known for his mix of discipline and excess and layered almost 200 tracks to create that record.
Launch a giant leap for China’s ‘space dream’
China has sent three taikonauts to its own space station, with the six-month mission a milestone in President Xi’s celestial ‘dream’ for his people.
Ukraine ‘will keep fighting rather than give up Crimea’
Kyiv believes the risk of the US pulling out of peace talks is less than the risk of accepting Moscow’s control over the peninsula, which would set a dangerous precedent.
The hidden feud behind Musk and Bessent’s White House shouting match
The tensions simmered for months. Then they exploded in the Oval Office as President Trump watched.
Secular blowhards just don’t get the papacy
The upcoming conclave is not about liberals versus conservatives but who will best express the timeless Catholic faith.
Fission to the moon: nuclear plant to power China’s lunar base
The International Lunar Research Station, a collaboration with Russia, is due to be built on the moon by 2035 and to function as a station for lunar research by 2050.
Richard Branson attacks Trump over trade and Ukraine
The US president is ‘in danger of doing so much damage’ to the world with his erratic policies, warns Virgin boss Richard Branson.
Church risks split if it elects a liberal pope
After the death of Francis on Monday, the conservative 77-year-old German cardinal challenged the late Pope’s agenda
Behind the scenes as cardinals prepare for Pope’s funeral
Some of the last words spoken by Pope Francis are revealed as thousands prepared to pay their respects and world leaders announced plans to fly in for his funeral on Saturday.
‘Gangster tactics’: China ‘building artificial islands off Sth Korea’
Seoul says Beijing is installing artificial structures in the Yellow Sea in an attempt to support its territorial claims similar to its moves in the South China Sea.
The Vatican’s most powerful cardinal (for now)
When Francis took his last breath, Cardinal Kevin Farrell became the temporary head of the church, having been appointed as camerlengo by the late pontiff. But he never wanted the job.
A black pope would give Africa the voice it deserves
Two Africans feature on the list of the papabile, or popeable and should be seriously considered. A meaningful traveller in the tradition of John Paul II could advocate for victims of forgotten wars and shame politicians to act.
‘Pandora’s box’: Fear and loathing at the Pentagon
Even trusted officials fear a purge as Pete Hegseth is himself investigated over Signal group chats, with insiders saying they’d be ‘shocked’ if he lasted much longer.
US deploys ‘ship killer’ missiles to Philippines for battle test
Australian troops will take part in military exercises in the Philippines to rehearse ‘war plans’, amid tensions with Beijing over South China Sea and Taiwan.
Francis’s successor will cement or destroy his liberal legacy
The clash between conservatives and progressives will play out in the Sistine Chapel in a battle for the soul of the Roman Catholic church.
The modernising pontiff who alienated conservatives
The first South American pope brought a freewheeling spirit to the papacy but angered more traditional members of the Catholic Church.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times