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Pope Francis, who died Monday aged 88, will go down in history as a radical pontiff, a champion of underdogs who forged a more compassionate Catholic Church while stopping short of overhauling centuries-old dogma.Dubbed “the people’s Pope”, the Argentine pontiff loved being among his flock and was popular with the faithful, though he faced bitter opposition from traditionalists within the Church.The first pope from the Americas and the southern hemisphere, he staunchly defended the most disadvantaged, from migrants to communities battered by climate change, which he warned was a crisis caused by humankind.But while he confronted head-on the global scandal of sex abuse by priests, survivors’ groups said concrete measures were slow in coming.From his election in March 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was eager to make his mark as the leader of the Catholic Church. He became the first pope to take the name Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century mystic who renounced his wealth and devoted his life to the poor.”How I would like a poor church for the poor,” he said three days after his election as the 266th pope.He was a humble figurehead who wore plain robes, eschewed the sumptuous papal palaces and made his own phone calls, some of them to widows, rape victims or prisoners.The football-loving former archbishop of Buenos Aires was also more accessible than his predecessors, chatting with young people about issues ranging from social media to pornography — and talking openly about his health.Francis always left the door open to retiring like his predecessor Benedict XVI, who in 2013 became the first pontiff since the Middle Ages to step down.After Benedict died in December 2022, Francis became the first sitting pope in modern history to lead a papal funeral.He suffered increasingly poor health, from colon surgery in 2021 and a hernia in June 2023 to bouts of bronchitis and knee pain that forced him to use a wheelchair.His fourth hospitalisation, of more than a month for bronchitis in both lungs, was his longest, raising speculation he might step down. But he brushed off talk of quitting, saying in February 2023 that papal resignations should not become “a normal thing”.In a 2024 memoir, he wrote that resignation was a “distant possibility” justified only in the event of “a serious physical impediment”.- Kissed prisoners’ feet -Before his first Easter at the Vatican, he washed and kissed the feet of prisoners at a Rome prison.It was the first in a series of powerful symbolic gestures that helped him achieve enthusiastic global admiration that eluded his predecessor.For his first trip abroad, Francis chose the Italian island of Lampedusa, the point of entry for tens of thousands of migrants hoping to reach Europe, and slammed the “globalisation of indifference”.He also condemned plans by US President Donald Trump during his first term to build a border wall against Mexico as un-Christian.After Trump’s re-election, Francis denounced his planned migrant deportations as a “major crisis” that “will end badly”.In 2016, with Europe’s migration crisis at a peak, Francis flew to the Greek island of Lesbos and returned to Rome with three families of asylum-seeking Syrian Muslims.He was also committed to inter-faith reconciliation, kissing the Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in a historic February 2016 encounter, and making a joint call for freedom of belief with leading Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb in 2019.Francis re-energised Vatican diplomacy in other ways, helping facilitate a historic rapprochement between the United States and Cuba, and encouraging the peace process in Colombia.And he sought to improve ties with China through a historic — but criticised — 2018 accord on the naming of bishops.- Climate appeal -Experts credited Francis with having influenced the landmark 2015 Paris climate accords with his “Laudato Si” encyclical, an appeal for action on climate change that was grounded in science.He argued that developed economies were to blame for an impending environmental catastrophe, and in a fresh appeal in 2023 warned that some of the damage was “already irreversible”.An advocate of peace, the pontiff repeatedly denounced arms manufacturers and argued that in the myriad of conflicts seen around the globe, a Third World War was underway.But his interventions were not always well received, and he sparked outrage from Kyiv after praising those in war-torn Ukraine who had the “courage to raise the white flag and negotiate”.In his modest rooms in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta guesthouse, Francis dealt with stress by writing down his problems in letters to Saint Joseph.”From the moment I was elected I had a very particular feeling of profound peace. And that has never left me,” he said in 2017.He also loved classical music and tango, stopping off once at a shop in Rome to buy records.- ‘Who am I to judge?’ -Francis’s admirers credit him with transforming perceptions of an institution beset by scandals when he took over, helping to bring lapsed believers back into the fold.He will be remembered as the pope who, on the subject of gay Catholics, said: “Who am I to judge?”He allowed divorced and remarried believers to receive communion, and approved the baptism of transgender believers as well as blessings for same-sex couples.But he dropped the idea of letting priests marry after an outcry, and despite nominating several women to leading positions inside the Vatican, he disappointed those who wanted women allowed to be ordained.Critics accused him of tampering dangerously with tenets of Catholic teaching, and he faced strong opposition to many of his reforms.In 2017, four conservatives cardinals made an almost unheard of public challenge to his authority, saying his changes had sown doctrinal confusion among believers.But his Church showed no inclination to relax its ban on artificial contraception or opposition to gay marriage — and he insisted that abortion was “murder”.Francis also pushed reforms within the Vatican, from allowing cardinals to be tried by civilian courts to overhauling the Holy See’s banking system.He also sought to address the enormously damaging issue of sex abuse by priests by meeting victims and vowing to hold those responsible accountable.He opened up Vatican archives to civil courts and made it compulsory to report suspicions of abuse or its cover-up to Church authorities.But critics say his legacy will be a Church that remains reluctant to hand paedophile priests over to the police.- ‘Raised on pasta’ -Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born into an Italian emigrant family in Flores, a middle-class district of Buenos Aires, on December 17, 1936.The eldest of five children, he was “born an Argentine but raised on pasta”, wrote biographer Paul Vallely.From 13, he worked afternoons in a hosiery factory while studying to become a chemical technician in the mornings. Later he had a brief stint as a nightclub bouncer.He was said to have liked dancing and girls, even coming close to proposing to one before, at age 17, he found a religious vocation.Francis later recounted a period of turmoil during his Jesuit training, when he became besotted with a woman he met at a family wedding.By then he had survived a near-fatal infection that resulted in the removal of part of a lung. His impaired breathing scuppered his hopes of becoming a missionary in Japan.He was ordained a priest in 1969 and appointed the provincial, or leader, of the Jesuits in Argentina just four years later.His time at the helm of the order, which spanned the country’s years of military dictatorship, was difficult.Critics accused him of betraying two radical priests who were imprisoned and tortured by the regime. No convincing evidence of the claim ever emerged but his leadership of the order was divisive and, in 1990, he was demoted and exiled to Argentina’s second-largest city, Cordoba.Then, in his 50s, Bergoglio is seen by most biographers as having undergone a midlife crisis.He emerged to embark on a new career in the mainstream of the Catholic hierarchy, reinventing himself first as the “Bishop of the Slums” in Buenos Aires and later as the pope who would break the mould.

Pope Francis, an energetic reformer who inspired widespread devotion from Catholics but riled traditionalists, died on Monday aged 88, just a day after greeting delighted worshippers after Easter Mass.The death of the Argentine pontiff, leader of the Catholic Church since March 2013, came less than a month after having been released from hospital following a 38-day battle with double pneumonia.Some visitors to St Peters Square — where a frail-looking Francis was cheered by Easter Sunday worshippers during an unscheduled appearance just a day earlier — were left in tears at the news.World leaders paid tribute to his moral and spiritual leadership and countries began preparations to mark his death.”Dearest brothers and sisters, it is with deep sorrow that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in the statement published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel.”This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.”His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church,” said the statement, released shortly before 10:00 am.His death sets in motion centuries-old traditions that will culminate in the gathering of a conclave of cardinals to choose a successor.In the next four to six days the Vatican’s cardinals will decide on the pope’s funeral date, at which point his coffin will be transferred to St Peter’s Basilica.In the meantime, the day-to-day running of the tiny Vatican City state will be handled by the Camerlengo, a senior cardinal, currently Dublin-born Cardinal Farrell.Francis’s body will be laid in its coffin in the chapel at the Saint Martha residence where he lived at 8:00 pm, the Vatican said, while the Rosary prayer will be held “in the middle of the day”.- ‘Spiritual father’ -At the Vatican on Monday, a hush seemed to descend on the normally boisterous Saint Peter’s Square as the death knell rang out.”He lived this Easter and then he went,” Cesarina Cireddu from Sardinia said with tears in her eyes. “He’s actually returned to the Lord — and godspeed.”Tour groups continued to walk through the sprawling plaza as quiet groups of people leaned against a barricade to pray.Venezuelan Riccardo Vielma, 31, who is studying to be a priest, said “we have lost our spiritual father”.Francis, whose real name was Jorge Bergoglio, was the first Jesuit to lead the world’s almost 1.4 billion Catholics and the first from the Americas.He took over after Benedict XVI became the first pontiff since the Middle Ages to step down — and cut a sharply different figure from the German theologian.A football-loving former archbishop of Buenos Aires who was often happiest among his flock, Francis sought to forge a more open and compassionate Church.- Served ‘with devotion’ -World leaders praised him for having strongly defended social justice and the rights of migrants.Britain’s King Charles, who met Francis during a state visit earlier this month, said the pope had “served with such devotion”.Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said “a great man has left us” in a statement, while Argentina’s President Javier Milei pointed to his compatriot’s “goodness and wisdom” despite their “differences”.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Francis had “inspired millions… with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate”.US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert who briefly met Francis on Sunday while on a trip to Rome with his family, said his “heart goes out” to Christians. The White House wrote “Rest in Peace” on X.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was grieving and Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the pope’s promotion of dialogue between the Orthodox and Catholic churches.Italy’s Serie A football league called off all the day’s matches and the country’s Olympic committee called for all sporting events due to take place there on Monday to be postponed.Spain announced three days of mourning while the bells at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris rang out 88 times and the city said the lights would be turned off at the Eiffel Tower on Monday evening.- Reforming pope -Francis’s pontificate was also marked by pushing through governance reforms and tackling the scourge of clerical sex abuse of children.But critics accused him of creating doctrinal confusion and failing to defend traditional Catholic beliefs on key issues such as abortion and divorce. Francis’s desire to chart a different path was evident right to the end, with his decision to be buried not in St Peter’s Basilica but in Rome’s Santa Maria Maggiore basilica.He will become the first pope in more than 100 years to be laid to rest outside the Vatican.Francis also rejected the tradition of popes having three coffins, instead choosing to be buried in just one.- Health issues -Francis, who had part of his lung removed as a young man, had maintained a busy schedule before his latest hospital admission, even hosting the prime minister of Slovakia shortly beforehand.Even after he was released from hospital and ordered to rest for two months, Francis, known for being stubborn, did not wait long before making public appearances, meeting Britain’s King Charles and visiting a prison.But he was barely able to speak and delegated the traditional Easter Sunday “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and the World”) benediction to an associate, although he later toured Saint Peter’s Square in his popemobile, greeting worshippers.Despite a growing number of health problems, he never took a day off and made frequent trips abroad, including a four-nation Asia-Pacific tour only last September.Huge crowds gathered wherever he went, a testament to his popularity and human touch.- ‘Who am I to judge?’ -When Francis took over, the Catholic Church was mired in infighting and beset by a global scandal over clerical sex abuse of children and decades of cover-ups.He promised an end to impunity and changed Vatican law to help tackle abuse, though victims said he could have gone further.More widely, he initiated a major shake-up of the Vatican’s powerful governing body, including improving financial responsibility and allowing lay Catholics to lead Vatican offices.Throughout his papacy, Francis championed the poor and vulnerable and emphasised love over doctrine.”If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?” he said at the start of his papacy.However, his detractors accused him of failing to uphold established Church doctrine.

When Pope Francis took over in 2013, the Catholic Church was embroiled in a global scandal over child sex abuse by priests, and the institution’s attempts to cover it up.The pontiff sanctioned top clergy and made reporting abuse mandatory, but victims said more can and must be done.- Criticised commission -In December 2014, Pope Francis established an international panel of experts to recommend how to protect minors, but the commission was mired in controversy from the start.Two members representing abuse survivors resigned in 2017, including Marie Collins, who was raped by a priest in Ireland when she was 13 years old and who decried as “shameful” the lack of cooperation from Vatican officials.In March 2023, the commission’s last remaining founding member, prominent German Jesuit priest Hans Zollner, resigned expressing concerns over “responsibility, compliance, accountability and transparency”. – Turning point in Chile -Pope Francis’s trip in January 2018 to Chile, where a clerical paedophilia scandal had caused outrage, was a turning point.Francis initially defended a Chilean bishop against allegations he covered up the crimes of an elderly priest, demanding the accusers show proof of his guilt.He later admitted making “grave mistakes” in the case — a first for a pope. He summoned all of Chile’s bishops to the Vatican, after which they all submitted their resignations.- McCarrick affair -In February 2019, in a historic first, Pope Francis defrocked former US cardinal Theodore McCarrick after he was found guilty by a Vatican court of sexually abusing a teenager in the 1970s.McCarrick had been known for having sex with adult seminarians, and the year before, the Vatican’s former ambassador to the United States, Carlo Maria Vigano, accused Pope Francis of ignoring years of allegations against the cardinal.A Vatican report in 2020 acknowledged errors by the Catholic hierarchy and found former pope John Paul II ignored advice against promoting McCarrick, but largely absolved Francis.- Unprecedented summit -In February 2019, the pope convened the heads of 114 bishops conferences from around the world with the head of the eastern Catholic Churches and superiors of religious congregations for a four-day summit on “the protection of minors”.It heard devastating accounts from abuse survivors and searing criticism from within the Church.German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, a close adviser to the pope, dropped the bombshell that bishops’ offices might have destroyed files on clerical abuse suspects.The pope promised an “all-out battle” against abuse, comparing child sex abuse to human sacrifice.- Legal changes -In December 2019, the pope made complaints, testimonies and documents from internal Church trials available to lay courts. Victims were able to access their files and any judgements.The same year, he made it compulsory to report suspicions of sexual assault or harassment to Church authorities — and any attempt at a cover-up.In 2021, the Catholic Church updated its criminal code for the first time in nearly 40 years to include an explicit mention of sexual abuse by priests against minors and disabled people.However, victims continued to complain that clergy were still not obliged to report abuse to civil authorities under Church codes, and anything said in the confessional box remained sacrosanct.- A mixed record -On his foreign trips from Canada to Belgium Pope Francis met with survivors of abuse and regularly issued calls for forgiveness.But while he did the most of any pope to combat the scourge, campaigners say he has never acknowledged what might be the “systemic” causes of abuse within the Church.He was criticised for not meeting the authors of a major report into sexual abuse within the Church in France, and urging caution in interpreting its claim that, about 330,000 minors had been abused over 70 years.Critics also say he should have been more decisive with Marko Rupnik, a Slovenian priest and world-renowned mosaic artist accused of abusing a community of adult religious women in the 1990s.Under pressure, the pope waived the statute of limitations in 2023 to allow potential disciplinary proceedings.

Pope Francis, an energetic reformer who inspired widespread devotion from Catholics but riled traditionalists, died on Monday aged 88.The Argentine pontiff, leader of the Catholic Church since March 2013, spent 38 days being treated for double pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli hospital before seeming to recover and leaving the facility on March 23.His death came just a day after he delighted the crowds of worshippers at the Vatican on Easter Sunday with an appearance on the balcony at Saint Peter’s Basilica.”Dearest brothers and sisters, it is with deep sorrow that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in the statement published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel.”This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.”His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church.”His death sets in motion centuries-old traditions that will culminate in the gathering of a conclave of cardinals to choose a successor.In the meantime, the day-to-day running of the tiny Vatican City state will be handled by the camerlengo, a senior cardinal, currently Dublin-born Kevin Farrell.- ‘Humble pastor’ -Francis, whose real name was Jorge Bergoglio, was the first Jesuit to lead the world’s almost 1.4 billion Catholics and the first from the Americas.He took over after Benedict XVI became the first pontiff since the Middle Ages to step down — and cut a sharply different figure from the German theologian.A football-loving former archbishop of Buenos Aires who was often happiest among his flock, Francis sought to forge a more open and compassionate church.He strongly defended social justice, the rights of migrants and the environment, while also pushing through governance reforms and tackling the scourge of clerical sex abuse of children.But critics accused him of creating doctrinal confusion and failing to defend traditional Catholic beliefs on key issues such as abortion and divorce. Francis’s desire to chart a different path was evident right to the end, with his decision to be buried not in St Peter’s Basilica but in Rome’s Santa Maria Maggiore basilica.He will become the first pope in more than 100 years to be laid to rest outside the Vatican.Francis also rejected the tradition of popes having three coffins, instead choosing to buried in just one, made of wood and zinc, to reflect his role as a humble pastor.- Health issues -Francis had left open the possibility of stepping down if he felt unable to do his job, following the example of Benedict, who quit citing his ailing health.But he insisted for years that time had not yet come, and maintained a busy schedule, right up to hosting the prime minister of Slovakia shortly before his hospital admission.Francis, who had part of his lung removed as a young man, was visibly breathless in the days before going to the Gemelli, delegating aides to read his homilies at public audiences.Questions will now be asked whether the pontiff, known for being stubborn and refusing to take rest, should have been admitted to hospital earlier.Even after he was released from hospital and ordered to rest for two months, Francis did not wait long before making public appearances.He had been hospitalised with a respiratory infection in March 2023. That same year he also underwent surgery for a hernia, and in 2021 he had colon surgery.He suffered knee pain that required him to use a wheelchair, and had fallen twice in recent months.Yet he never took a day off and made frequent trips abroad, including a four-nation Asia-Pacific tour only last September.Huge crowds gathered wherever he went, a testament to his popularity and human touch, which saw him finish his Sunday Angelus prayer each week urging followers to pray for him and to have a good lunch.- Who am I to judge? -When Francis took over, the Catholic Church was mired in infighting and beset by a global scandal over clerical sex abuse of children and decades of cover-ups.He promised an end to impunity and changed Vatican law to help tackle abuse, though victims said he could have gone further.More widely, he initiated a major shake-up of the Vatican’s powerful governing body, including improving financial responsibility and allowing lay Catholics to lead Vatican offices.Throughout his papacy, Francis championed the poor and vulnerable and emphasised love over doctrine.”If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?” he said at the start of his papacy.However, his detractors accused him of failing to uphold established Church doctrine, and his final months were marked by increasingly outspoken attacks by senior cardinals.Tensions with conservative Catholics marked the Synod congress that met at the Vatican at the end of 2023, part of a years-long global consultation on the future of the church — that Francis now leaves unfinished.

The Philippine and US militaries on Monday kicked off three weeks of joint exercises that will simulate a “full-scale battle scenario”, as the two allies seek to deter Beijing’s ambitions in the disputed South China Sea.As many as 17,000 personnel are expected to take part in the annual “Balikatan”, or “shoulder to shoulder” drills, which for the first time will include an integrated air and missile defence simulation, to be attended by President Ferdinand Marcos.Sophisticated US weapons including the NMESIS anti-ship missile system will also be deployed, including near a crucial chokepoint in the waters separating the northern Philippines from self-ruled Taiwan.”We will demonstrate not just our will to uphold our mutual defence treaty in existence since 1951 but our matchless capability to do so,” US Marine Corps Lieutenant General James Glynn said at Monday’s opening ceremony in Manila.”Nothing builds bonds more quickly than shared adversity,” he said, without specifying a common threat.Philippines Major General Francisco Lorenzo added that the 40th Balikatan exercises would reinforce the country’s ability to address “contemporary security challenges”.The Philippines has been engaged in months of confrontations with Beijing over disputed areas of the South China Sea.It has steadily deepened defence cooperation with treaty ally the United States since Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on China’s sweeping claims to the crucial waterway.During a recent visit to Manila, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington was “doubling down” on the alliance.”Deterrence is necessary around the world, but specifically in this region, in your country — considering the threats from the Communist Chinese,” he said in late March.In response to the drills, Beijing accused Manila of “collusion with countries outside the region”.The exercises “undermine regional strategic stability”, said foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.”This has already aroused strong aversion and opposition from regional countries,” he said.- Manila seeking military upgrades -Last year’s Balikatan featured tests of the US Typhon mid-range missile system.The Philippine Army subsequently said it was planning to acquire the Typhon, sparking warnings from China of a regional “arms race”.On Monday, Glynn said the Typhon system would again be present, along with the Marine Air Defense Integrated System, or MADIS, a short-range platform specialising in knocking out drones.The Philippines’ Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner said last month that Manila was seeking to upgrade its arsenal, with more missile systems, warships and fighter jets.On April 2, the United States said it had approved the possible sale of $5.58 billion in long-coveted F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, though Manila said the deal was “still in the negotiation phase”.A week later, the Philippines took possession of the first of two corvette-class warships with “advanced weapons and radar systems” acquired in a deal with South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries.- ‘Inevitably’ involved -China considers Taiwan part of its sovereign territory and has vowed to bring it under Beijing’s control one day.Given the Philippines’ proximity to Taiwan and its surrounding waters, Manila’s cooperation would be crucial in the event of any US conflict with China.On April 1, as Chinese ships and warplanes surrounded the self-ruled island in a simulated blockade, Brawner said his country would “inevitably” be involved should the democracy be invaded.While Manila later said Brawner’s comments were primarily referencing efforts to retrieve Filipino workers in Taiwan, its Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with Washington gives US forces access to nine bases in the Philippines.Asked about Taiwan on Monday, Lorenzo said Balikatan could potentially “help deter” a conflict over the island.Both the US and Philippine militaries, however, stressed that this year’s war games would not address a potential Chinese invasion.Besides the United States, countries including Australia and Japan are sending smaller contingents to Balikatan.

Billionaire businesswoman, high priestess of social media, Oval Office invitee, effortless siren, mother of four: Kim Kardashian has mastered the 21st century like no one else. For almost two decades, she has been a constant presence in popular culture, an uber-celebrity whose every move commands attention, yet who never seems to be anything other than in complete control.While lesser stars have been consumed by fame, Kardashian remains at the height of her powers, defying criticism that she is really only famous for being famous.Kardashian, 44, is expected to testify at a French trial beginning April 28 over a 2016 robbery that cost her millions of dollars worth of jewelry — and in which she was held at gunpoint.Six people are charged over the heist, which netted items including a diamond ring gifted by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West. – Fame -Born in Los Angeles on October 21, 1980, Kardashian spent her childhood on the periphery of fame.By 1991, after her parents were divorced, her mother Kris married the 1976 Olympic decathlon winner then known as Bruce Jenner, who has since transitioned to life as Caitlyn. A few years later, her father Robert was one of the high-flying lawyers who defended American football legend OJ Simpson in his 1995 murder trial. As a teenage friend of Los Angeles socialites Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton, Kardashian garnered the first inklings of her own fame, being photographed with them at popular nightspots and appearing in their reality show “The Simple Life.”But it was in 2007 that she was catapulted into popular consciousness when an explicit four-year-old home movie she had made with her then-boyfriend Ray J was posted online.Cynics noted the tape appeared as Kardashian and her family were readying to promote “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” a fly-on-the-wall reality TV look at the family’s life of wealth, luxury, unbelievable cattiness — and startling mundanity.Planted or not, the footage burned Kardashian onto the public’s collective retina.”Keeping up with the Kardashians,” which followed the personal and professional trials of sisters Kim, Kourtney and Khloe and their half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, was one of television’s longest-running reality shows.For some, it was must-see entertainment offering an insight into celebrity through the prism of a unique family.For others, as The Washington Times once wrote, it was vapid chaff that “illustrates our nation’s moral, spiritual and cultural decay.”Either way, the show was very, very good for business.A series of enterprises including KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrance established Kardashian as a serious player in the fashion and lifestyle sector, propelled by the rise of social media, where she regularly posted thirst traps to build her brand.But it was the apparel label Skims that really brought in the big bucks.The firm unapologetically celebrates the female form, boasting “technically constructed shapewear that enhances your curves.”A 2023 investment round valued the company at $4 billion, and Forbes estimates Kardashian’s personal net worth is now $1.7 billion.- Marriage to Kanye… and divorce -Her forays into the fashion and beauty worlds were supercharged by her relationship with West, her third husband.Their marriage in 2014 — the year of that “Break the Internet” photoshoot for Paper magazine involving her shapely bare buttocks and lots of champagne — was a “historic blizzard of celebrity,” according to The New York Times.They flew to France for a pre-wedding rehearsal at the Palace of Versailles, where they arrived in a gold-plated carriage before flying on to Italy to tie the knot.Four children later, the couple’s relationship ran into difficulties, as West’s behavior became increasingly erratic. His bizarre, but truncated 2020 bid for the US presidency degenerated into rambling self-confession.Kardashian appealed for empathy for her husband, who at one time spoke of living with bipolar disorder, but by 2021 was filing for divorce.Kardashian says she has tried to protect the couple’s children from the inevitable hurt of their parents’ split.”You want to be sensitive because they’re just kids, and it’s hard to go through no matter what age,” she told GQ in 2023.”Ultimately what matters is that kids feel loved and heard.”They are certainly seen: Kardashian’s 357 million Instagram followers are given regular updates on the children.Since her split with West, Kardashian had a high-profile romance with comedian Pete Davidson, and was linked to NFL player Odell Beckham Jr.Amid the parenting, the television shows, the endless red carpets and the multi-billion-dollar business, Kardashian has also found time to launch a legal career.After embarking on an apprenticeship with a prison reform group, she successfully petitioned US President Donald Trump to pardon a grandmother serving a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense — and then visited him at the White House.In 2021 and on her fourth attempt, she passed California’s “baby bar” exam, a seven-hour slog for first-year law students with a pass rate of only around 20 percent.Her late father, she mused, “would be so proud.””He would actually be so shocked to know that this is my path now.”

The Philippine and US militaries on Monday kicked off three weeks of joint exercises that will simulate a “full-scale battle scenario”, as the two allies seek to deter to Beijing’s ambitions in the disputed South China Sea.Around 17,000 troops are expected to take part in the annual “Balikatan”, or “shoulder to shoulder” drills, which for the first time will include an integrated air and missile defence simulation to be attended by President Ferdinand Marcos.Sophisticated US weapons including the “highly mobile” NMESIS anti-ship missile system will also be deployed, including near a crucial chokepoint in the waters separating the northern Philippines from self-ruled Taiwan.”We will demonstrate not just our will to uphold our mutual defence treaty in existence since 1951 but our matchless capability to do so,” US Marine Corps Lieutenant General James Glynn said Monday at the Balikatan opening ceremony in Manila.”Nothing builds bonds more quickly than shared adversity,” he added, without specifying a common threat. Philippines Major General Francisco Lorenzo added the exercises would reinforce the country’s ability to address “contemporary security challenges”.The Philippines has been engaged in months of confrontations with Beijing over disputed areas of the South China Sea.It has steadily deepened defence cooperation with treaty ally the United States since Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on China’s sweeping claims to the crucial waterway.During a recent visit to Manila, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington was “doubling down” on the alliance.”Deterrence is necessary around the world, but specifically in this region, in your country — considering the threats from the Communist Chinese,” he said in late March.While the bulk of visiting forces involved in Balikatan will be from the United States, countries including Australia and Japan are sending smaller contingents.- ‘More missile systems’ -Last year’s Balikatan featured tests of the US Typhon mid-range missile system, which was left behind following the exercises.The Philippine Army subsequently said it was planning to acquire the Typhon, sparking warnings from China of a regional “arms race”.Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner last month said the Philippines was indeed looking to upgrade its arsenal.”We are looking at acquiring more missile systems to complete the integration of our air and missile defence,” he told New Delhi’s Raisina Dialogue, adding more warships and fighter jets were also being sought.On April 2, the United States said it had approved the possible sale of $5.58 billion in long-coveted F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, though Manila said the deal was “still in the negotiation phase”.A week later, the Philippines took possession of the first of two corvette-class warships with “advanced weapons and radar systems” acquired in a deal with South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries.- ‘Inevitably’ involved -Given the Philippines’ proximity to Taiwan and its surrounding waters, Manila’s cooperation would be crucial in the event of any US conflict with China.On April 1, as Chinese ships and warplanes surrounded the self-ruled island in a simulated blockade, Brawner said his country would “inevitably” be involved should the democracy be invaded.China considers Taiwan part of its sovereign territory and has vowed to one day bring it under its control.While Manila later said Brawner’s comments were primarily referencing efforts to retrieve Filipino workers in Taiwan, its Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with Washington gives US forces access to nine bases in the country.Two of those are located in Luzon’s northernmost Cagayan province, which will host live-fire drills during Balikatan this year. 

US Vice President JD Vance began a four-day visit to India on Monday as New Delhi looks to seal an early trade deal and stave off punishing US tariffs.Vance’s visit comes two months after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with US President Donald Trump at the White House.A red carpet welcome with an honour guard and troupes of folk dancers greeted Vance after he stepped out into the sweltering sunshine of New Delhi, where he is set to meet with Modi.Vance’s tour also includes a trip to Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, the white marble mausoleum commissioned by a Mughal emperor.The US vice president is accompanied by his family, including his wife Usha, who is the daughter of Indian immigrants, with New Delhi’s broadcasters dubbing the visit “semi-private”.Modi, 74, and Vance, 40, are expected to “review the progress in bilateral relations” and also “exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest”, India’s foreign ministry said last week.India and the United States are negotiating the first tranche of a trade deal, which New Delhi hopes to secure within the 90-day pause on tariffs announced by Trump earlier this month. “We are very positive that the visit will give a further boost to our bilateral ties,” India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters last week.Vance was welcomed at the airport by Ashwini Vaishnaw, a senior member of Modi’s government.- ‘Special bond’ -Vance’s visit comes during an escalating trade war between the United States and China. India’s neighbour and rival faces US levies of up to 145 percent on many products.Beijing has responded with duties of 125 percent on US goods.India has so far reacted cautiously.After the tariffs were announced, India’s Department of Commerce said it was “carefully examining the implications”, adding it was “also studying the opportunities that may arise”.Modi, who visited the White House in February, has an acknowledged rapport with Trump, who said he shares a “special bond” with the Indian leader. Trump, speaking while unveiling the tariffs, said Modi was a “great friend” but that he had not been “treating us right”.During his visit to Washington, Modi said that the world’s largest and fifth-largest economies would work on a “mutually beneficial trade agreement”.While the United States is a crucial market for India’s information technology and services sectors, Washington has made billions of dollars in new military hardware sales to New Delhi in recent years.Trump could visit India later this year for a summit of heads of state from the Quad — a four-way grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the United States.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared information on forthcoming US air strikes on Yemen in a private Signal chat group that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer, the New York Times and CNN reported on Sunday.AFP was not able to independently verify the reports, which detailed what would be the second time Hegseth has been accused of sharing sensitive military information on the commercial messaging app with unauthorized personnel.Last month, The Atlantic magazine revealed that its editor-in-chief was inadvertently included in a Signal chat in which officials including Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz discussed the strikes, which took place on March 15.The revelation sparked an uproar, with US President Donald Trump’s administration facing a scandal over the accidental leak. A Pentagon Inspector-General’s probe into that leak is ongoing.Hegseth is facing increasing criticism from within his own camp, with three former staffers penning a statement decrying their dismissals and his own former Pentagon spokesman all but calling for him to be fired on Sunday.The Times reported that Hegseth had shared information in the second Signal group chat on the same March 15 strikes that were discussed in the accidental leak.The information shared “included the flight schedules for the F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis in Yemen,” the newspaper reported.The outlet said that unlike the accidental leak where journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly included in the group, this group chat was created by Hegseth. The other chat was initiated by Waltz.”It included his wife and about a dozen other people from his personal and professional inner circle in January, before his confirmation as defense secretary,” the Times’ reported, citing unnamed sources.Hegseth’s wife Jennifer is a journalist and former Fox News producer. The group also included his brother Phil and Tim Parlatore, both of whom serve in roles at the Pentagon.Parlatore also continues to serve as Hegseth’s personal lawyer, the Times reported.Responding to the report, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell accused the New York Times of being “Trump-hating media.””There was no classified information in any Signal chat, no matter how many ways they try to write the story,” he said, without providing further specifics.The Pentagon did not respond to AFP requests for specific details on what was shared in the defense secretary’s Signal group chat.- ‘Unconscionable’ -Trump largely pinned the blame for the earlier leak on Waltz, but has dismissed calls to fire top officials and insisted instead on what he called the success of the raids on the Yemeni rebels.This week, three top Pentagon officials were put on leave pending investigations into unspecified leaks in the Defense Department.Deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, senior advisor Dan Caldwell and Colin Carroll hit back on Sunday, releasing a statement saying Pentagon officials had “slandered our character with baseless attacks.””At this time, we still have not been told what exactly we were investigated for, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of ‘leaks’ to begin with,” they said in a joint statement posted on social media.”While this experience has been unconscionable, we remain supportive of the Trump-Vance Administration’s mission to make the Pentagon great again and achieve peace through strength.”Hours after the latest reported leak, Hegseth’s former Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot published a scathing opinion piece describing “a month of total chaos at the Pentagon.””President Donald Trump has a strong record of holding his top officials to account. Given that, it’s hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer,” wrote Ullyot.Democrats were quick to pounce on the latest allegations, with Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed calling for the Pentagon Inspector-General to include the latest allegations in its probe.”If true, this incident is another troubling example of Secretary Hegseth’s reckless disregard for the laws and protocols that every other military servicemember is required to follow,” he said in a statement.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele offered Venezuela Sunday a trade of 252 Venezuelans deported to his country by the United States for an equal number of political prisoners held by President Nicolas Maduro’s regime.The offer followed a broadside from President Donald Trump against US Supreme Court judges who on Saturday ordered a halt to removals like that of the Venezuelans, which the administration has carried out under an obscure wartime law.”I want to propose to you a humanitarian agreement calling for the repatriation of 100 percent of the 252 Venezuelans who were deported,” Bukele wrote to Maduro on X.The prisoners would be sent “in exchange for the release and handing over of an identical number from among the thousands of political prisoners that you hold,” he added.The Salvadoran leader, who was hosted at the White House last week, said that “all the Venezuelans we have in custody were detained as part of an operation against gangs like Tren de Aragua in the United States.”In little more than a month, 288 migrants accused by the Trump administration of belonging to gangs including Tren de Aragua — now defined as a terrorist organization by Washington — have been shipped to El Salvador.The US is paying Bukele’s government to imprison them in the country’s notorious CECOT prison outside the capital San Salvador.Late on Sunday, Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab described Bukele’s prisoner exchange offer as “cynical,” demanding a “complete list” of the detained migrants along with an accounting of what crimes they are accused of and whether they had been given due process.- Trump takes on judges -The Trump administration has clashed with judges at home over the deportations.The Supreme Court’s Saturday order at least temporarily halted what rights groups warned were imminent deportations of Venezuelan migrants being held in Texas, who have been accused of being gang members.More broadly, the decision temporarily prevents the government from continuing to expel migrants under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act — last used to round up Japanese-American citizens during World War II.Administration officials from Trump down have claimed that illegal immigration and gang activity amounts to an “invasion” of the United States and this justifies using the law.Trump lashed out Sunday on his Truth Social platform, not specifically naming the high court but slamming the “WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Judges and Law Enforcement Officials who are allowing this sinister attack on our Nation to continue.”The White House has been butting heads with federal judges, rights groups and Democrats who say Trump has trampled or ignored constitutionally enshrined rights in rushing to deport migrants, sometimes without the right to a hearing. “We’re getting closer and closer to a constitutional crisis,” Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar told CNN.In the most publicized case, Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia was sent to CECOT without charge.The administration admitted that Abrego Garcia had been included among the deportees due to an “administrative error,” and the Supreme Court ruled that the government must “facilitate” his return.Trump has since doubled down, however, insisting that Abrego Garcia is in fact a gang member, including posting an apparently doctored photo on social media Friday of a gang symbol tattooed on his knuckles.Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, who met Abrego Garcia on Thursday, said the man was bewildered by his detention and felt threatened in prison.On Sunday, Van Hollen challenged the Trump administration to provide evidence that it is respecting US laws in its deportation sweep.”I’m okay with whatever the rule of law dictates,” he told CNN, “but right now we have a lawless president… who is ignoring the order of the Supreme Court of the United States to facilitate (Abrego Garcia’s) return.”- Political prisoners -Bukele claimed Sunday that many of the Venezuelan detainees now in his country “have committed murder, others have committed rape, and some had even been arrested multiple times before being deported.””Unlike our detainees… your political prisoners have not committed any crime. The only reason they are imprisoned is because they have opposed you and your electoral frauds,” he told Venezuela’s Maduro.Maduro claimed victory in a disputed presidential election last year, sparking mass protests and a crackdown that left 28 people dead and 2,400 behind bars. About 500 of those remain locked up, though activists say dissident arrests have continued.Bukele added that he was seeking the release of prominent Venezuelans such as Rafael Tudares, son-in-law of Maduro’s 2024 presidential challenger Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia; journalist Roland Carreno; activist lawyer Rocio San Miguel; and opponents who have been holed up for more than a year in Argentina’s Caracas embassy.He also cited 50 citizens of other nations, among them Americans, Europeans, Middle Easterners and Latin Americans.”Our foreign ministry will send formal correspondence,” he said.