Putin’s ultimate goal in Ukraine is to reshape world order
The Russian leader is less interested in squabbling over territory than showing the US and NATO who is the boss.
The Times
Pariah turns peacemaker as Saudi prince brokers talks
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has emerged as a key player in international diplomacy.
How Trump’s man in the Mideast jump-started talks with Putin
Real estate developer Steve Witkoff engineered the release of American teacher Marc Fogel from a Russian prison this week – and opened the door to negotiations about Ukraine.
Ukraine will seek to lock US into minerals deal at Munich
Zelensky must convince Trump not to accept conditions being pushed by Moscow; the US president says further aid to Ukraine would be conditional on exclusive access to its resources.
How could the Ukraine war end? Three possible scenarios explored
President Donald Trump’s talks with Vladimir Putin could result in a deal to halt the conflict. Here’s an examination of how that agreement might shape up.
If this is peace, the world faces even more conflict
If Ukraine is forcibly partitioned, the outcome will be, at best, a Cold War 2.0 with Putin emboldened and China encouraged to risk its own military adventures.
UK to follow King’s cue on housing
Keir Starmer will set out plans for a dozen new towns with designs inspired by King Charles, saying he wants them built by British workers.
Don’t rely on us for protection from Putin: US
Britain and Europe will ‘step up’ support for Ukraine, Britain’s Defence Secretary has vowed after coming under pressure from the US.
Proof the fairer sex is nicer too
One of the largest studies of its kind has found women are more generous than men.
‘New world order’: Russia’s delight at Trump call over Ukraine
Putin told Trump the ‘root causes’ of the war need to be eliminated before fighting ends; shorthand for Zelensky’s removal and the ascent to power of a Moscow-friendly leader in Kyiv.
Ukraine spy chief arrests FSB ‘rat’ in the ranks
Ukraine’s intelligence service has detained one of its own officers on suspicion of spying for Moscow in an arrest led by Kyiv’s own espionage chief.
Yoga, wellness and death: check into The White Lotus
The super-rich have moved on to Thailand for the third series of Mike White’s hit thriller. Its stars talk about their trip of a lifetime.
UK’s island deal to avoid ‘missile crisis’
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s deal to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is necessary to avoid setting off ‘a serious confrontation’ in the Indian Ocean, a Foreign Office minister says.
Gaza plan a red line for Egypt and Jordan. Will it backfire on Trump?
Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw aid unless Egypt and Jordan accept Gazans is unlikely to sway them. They’ll simply look to rich Gulf countries or even China, a key investor, to bail them out.
Rushdie ‘attacker on a mission’
The man accused of a frenzied attack on Salman Rushdie ‘came dangerously close to committing murder’ in front of an audience of thousands, a court in upstate New York has been told.
Fewer Chinese marriages spells economic trouble
The number of people marrying in China fell by a fifth last year to the lowest level in more than four decades.
Trump ‘used decoy plane over Iran assassination fears’
After US security officials warned the Trump campaign Iranian operatives were in the country with access to surface-to-air missiles, he used a decoy plane to travel between events.
Lies and conspiracy theories seducing our schoolkids
Teachers have told a landmark survey that they feel powerless to combat the spread of misinformation from social media, even when children know it’s untrue.
Island’s ice melting at a cracking pace
Hungry polar bears in Greenland have been known to wander into town from the melting sea ice in search of food – one was shot and turned into polar bear soup.
It was brutal, but Guy Pearce got lucky
The actor, nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA for his scene-stealing turn in The Brutalist, talks money, Neighbours and why he was terrible in Memento.
Lucy Letby and Grenfell: we knew too much, but not enough
The handling of both shocking cases shows how victimhood can hamper clear-eyed investigation and the path to justice.
Prince Andrew set to pocket millions in deal to share his contacts
A Dutch company will pay the disgraced prince for access to his Pitch@Palace network.
Plans to make gender change easier shelved
UK’s Labour government has mothballed plans to make it easier legally to change sexes.
Freed hostage ‘not told Hamas burnt wife, daughters to death’
Eli Sharabi only found out his family’s fate after his release at the weekend, as an Israeli official says some hostages are in worse condition than the emaciated men whose poor condition shocked the country.
Drag queens go as new arts king crowned
Donald Trump will take over the country’s leading cultural centre, sacking board members and appointing himself as chairman.
‘Our house still stands but the rest is rubble’: a 14-year-old returns to Gaza
Nadine Abdullatif describes the fraught process of reaching Gaza City, what little was left of the place where she grew up and her family’s struggle to survive.
Trump pledges not to deport Harry — and levels insult at Meghan
The President’s surprising decision – and jibe at the Duchess of Sussex – follows a legal battle over the Duke’s US visa status.
Why Silicon Valley has taken up arms with Donald Trump
Big tech has changed sides as AI, war and resentment for the Democrats push it to embrace the defence sector.
Midlife rules: How to hit peak fitness over 40
Yes, you can be as fit as you were in your thirties, you just need to change the way you train.
Revitalised King Charles keen to fill every gap in his diary
A year after Buckingham Palace announced the King was battling cancer, he remains extraordinarily busy, most recently meeting the Beckhams, Helen Mirren and Donatella Versace at a black-tie dinner at Highgrove.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/page/7