Musk reiterates support for German right
Elon Musk has endorsed the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in a newspaper opinion piece, prompting its opinion editor to resign in protest.
The Times
Assad’s ‘critically ill’ wife may be barred from returning to Britain
Without travel documents Asma al-Assad will be unable to come back to her native London following reports that she is critically ill with leukaemia.
Tories point finger at ‘faker’ Farage over members claim
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Nigel Farage of faking a surge in Reform membership after the party claimed to have surpassed the Conservatives for the first time.
How neighbourhoods get top vote as homebuyers hunt for ‘their people’
A real estate company is offering prospective homeowners a feature that, for many, really matters: a breakdown of how their future neighbours voted.
Help! I’ve been petty-sacked for coffee-badging
Confused by the blizzard of business buzzwords, acronyms and coinages that came to the fore in 2024? It’s a jargon jungle out there but maybe this can help…
Passengers saved as driver jumps from speeding train
When a train driver jumped to his death while travelling at 186kph near Paris, the system’s automatic controls averted disaster.
Was Azerbaijan Airlines plane shot down? Crash footage gives answers
Video from before and after the Azerbaijan Airlines crash indicate shrapnel penetrated the rear of the aircraft, disabling the hydraulic systems as the plane was inexplicably diverted.
Poorer nations poised to drive global economic growth
The global economy is on track to double in size in nominal terms over the next 15 years, with growth fuelled by poorer nations catching up with richer ones, according to forecasters.
Can a bank make carbon offsetting a growth industry?
Many firms have supported tree-planting projects as a way of burnishing green credentials, usually through third-party scheme developers. The UK’s Atom Bank is taking a direct approach.
Trump opponents’ last big hope as deportations loom
Observers say entire migrant communities will be affected by the President elect’s crackdown – but will its sheer ambition be its undoing?
ISIS ‘plans to attack Syrian cities over New Year’: Kurd leader
Islamic State is re-arming and will seek to exploit the vacuum in Syria with a new wave of attacks over the holiday period, according to the leader of the country’s western-backed troops.
Biden eyes sanctions on Russia’s ‘dark fleet’ of oil ships
In his last weeks in office, Joe Biden is planning sanctions against Russia’s energy sector, targeting the ships carrying Russian oil around the world and bolstering Vladimir Putin’s war chest.
Cancer-stricken Assad wife ‘has 50/50 chance of survival’
Asma Assad is in isolation in Moscow and being cared for by her ‘heartbroken’ father after her leukaemia aggressively returned.
Brain slower than internet
We process information very slowly – but our senses are much faster, researchers say.
‘All is calm’: How Christmas carol services could reduce your stress
Science suggests the love, joy and nostalgia of singing at evensong can leave those who attend carol services less stressed and ‘significantly more tranquil’ than when they entered.
Tea and coffee linked to lower risk of mouth and throat cancer
Drinking three to four cups of coffee a day is associated with the biggest decrease in risk, according to a study.
Tense stand-off: James Bond’s latest nemesis is Amazon
Future James Bond films are believed to have been put on hold while cultural differences are resolved between franchise owner Barbara Broccoli and rights owner Amazon.
Kremlin denies Assad’s wife divorce rumours
Arabic and Turkish media claimed Asma al-Assad was dissatisfied with her quality of life in Moscow and had demanded a divorce from the deposed Syrian dictator.
British 16-year-olds could get vote from next year, says Labour
The Starmer government says an elections bill, which would include lowering the voting age, could be introduced during the next parliamentary session.
![Mary Magdalene bottom right, behind the cross and kissing it? : according to Sara Penco, the author of the new book Mary Magdalene in Michelangelo’s Judgement. Dec 2024 Vatican Museum Director Professor Antonio Paolucci unveiled today to the international Press the new Lightining and air conditioning system of the Sistine Chapel, where about 6 million tourists a year visit the chapel to marvel at Michelangelo's ceiling and his depiction of the Last Judgment on the altar wall.The German firm Osram has installed more than 7,000 light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in a gilded, rail-like structure high up on the walls of the chapel to protect the artworks and provide brighter lighting.Although visitors will get less time to view the chapel, Paolucci said: "Starting in the early months of 2015, visitors to the Vatican Museums are going to be offered special, disposable ‘intelligent glasses' similar to Google Glass that will enable them to explore the Sistine [Chapel] in 3D and go deeper into its history before the actual visit."EDITORIAL US (Photo by Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis via Getty Images)](https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/123f7bdee11c452e398dc1b37abf45fe?width=650)
Another judgment: Mary Magdalene was right up there with Jesus all along
An Italian author says the woman who followed Christ to the end is in a Sistine Chapel fresco.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/page/4