Trump, Musk double down on slashing federal workforce
President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk are pressing ahead with a purge of federal government staff, and sniping at judges for frustrating their plans.
International News
Israel calls up reservists as Gaza ceasefire fears rise
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns "intense fighting" will resume in Gaza if Hamas does not return hostages by noon on Saturday.
USAID watchdog fired after sounding alarm about funding
The inspector general for the US Agency for International Development has been fire, after he warned that billions of dollars in unspent aid was untrackable.
China ‘proposes Putin-Trump summit to end Ukraine war’
US President Donald Trump says he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin about starting negotiations immediately to end the war in Ukraine.
White House considering exemptions on tariffs: Johnson
US President Donald Trump may consider exemptions to reciprocal tariffs, US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson says.
Egypt, Qatar intensify efforts to save Gaza ceasefire
Egypt's president and Jordan's king have called for the "immediate" start of reconstruction in the Gaza Strip "without displacing the Palestinian people".
Trump government shake-ups meet court blocks
US President Donald Trump's radical overhauls of government bodies and spending have met with blocks and resistance in several courts.
Hamas frees frail Israeli hostages as ceasefire holds
Hamas has freed another three Israeli hostages as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal in exchange for Israel releasing 183 Palestinian prisoners.
White racial slurs still racist, Kerr’s jury told
The jury in Matildas striker Sam Kerr's London trial have been asked to consider if calling a policeman "stupid and white" is still racist.
Zelenskiy wants to do a deal with Trump
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he must meets President Trump before he meets President Putin, or it'll "look like a dialogue about Ukraine without Ukraine".
Payback: Trump revokes Biden’s security clearance
"I will always protect our National Security - JOE, YOU'RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!", Donald Trump wrote after revoking Joe Biden's security clearance.
US judge blocks Musk from accessing payment systems
A US judge has blocked the Trump administration's government efficiency panel, led by billionaire Elon Musk, from accessing payment systems.
Trump signs order to cut funding for South Africa
Donald Trump has cut off financial assistance to South Africa in retaliation against the country lodging a genocide case against Washington ally Israel.
Zelenskiy confirms a new Ukrainian offensive in Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has confirmed a new Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk region.
Lebanon PM forms new government, pledging reforms
War-torn Lebanon finally has a government after a more than two-year wait, with incoming Prime Minister Nawaf Salam set to prioritise reconstruction efforts.
Sony PlayStation Network outage angers gamers worldwide
Sony's PlayStation Network has experienced a major outage across the world, leaving tens of thousands of gamers unable to access online services.
Trump rules out deporting Prince Harry from the US
President Donald Trump seems to have ruled out deporting Harry, the Duke of Sussex, from the US.
Rescuers search for 30 after a landslide in China
Chinese rescuers are searching for some 30 people after a landslide in south western Sichuan province buried 10 houses.
Israeli forces start withdrawing from key Gaza corridor
Israeli forces are withdrawing from the Netzarim corridor, a strip of land that bisects northern Gaza from the south, as part of a ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Canada seeks stronger EU trade ties amid Trump threat
The Canadian trade minister will head to Australia next week after seeking stronger trade ties with the European Union.
Trump says he spoke to Putin about ending Ukraine war
The Kremlin has neither confirmed nor denied reports US President Donald Trump has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine.
Gunmen in Mali kill 25 civilians in convoy attack
Mali's military says gunmen have attacked a convoy of vehicles escorted by the army, killing 25 civilians mostly gold miners.
Gaza ceasefire averted famine but threat remains: UN
The United Nations humanitarian chief says famine has been mostly averted in Gaza as a surge of aid enters the territory during a fragile ceasefire.
Trump says Musk will find billions in Pentagon waste
US President Donald Trump has flagged that billionaire Elon Musk will soon begin combing the Pentagon for wasted taxpayer dollars.
Russia launches drone attacks on Kyiv, Sumy
The Trump administration's national security adviser Mike Waltz says that top officials are travelling to Europe this week for talks on the Ukraine conflict.
Egypt calls Arab summit over Trump’s Gaza plan
Egypt will host an emergency Arab summit on February 27 to discuss President Donald Trump's "dangerous" idea to resettle Palestinians from Gaza.
Trump to announce 25 per cent steel, aluminium tariffs
Donald Trump is poised to announce 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imported to the US but It's not yet clear how and if Australia will be affected.
Man accused of raping Virgin worker in Fiji gets bail
A Fijian man accused of raping and sexually assaulting a Virgin Australia crew member on New Year's Day has been granted bail, with some strict conditions.
DeepSeek ‘excessively’ collects personal data: S Korea
South Korea's National Intelligence Service has sent a notice to government agencies urging them to take security precautions over the Chinese AI app DeepSeek.
Matildas skipper Kerr waits after jury is sent out
A jury in Sam Kerr's London trial on charges of racially aggravated harassment has finished hearing evidence and been sent out to consider their verdict.
At least 50 killed as bus plunges off Guatemala bridge
Guatemala City authorities say at least 50 people have died after a bus travelling on a busy highway fell off a bridge.