Volcanic ash delays aid to Tonga
Thick ash is delaying aid deliveries to Tonga as the extend of damage emerges following the weekend's huge undersea volcanic eruption.
International News
NZ sending ships to Tonga, reports deaths
New Zealand's top diplomat in Tonga says the main island of Tongatapu has been "spared great loss of life" but needs water and a massive cleanup operation.
Aus, NZ flights to assess Tonga damage
Power is being restored in Tonga, two days after the mammoth Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption which caused a tsunami across the Pacific.
Hostages safe after US synagogue standoff
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has tweeted that all hostages are safe after a standoff inside a synagogue
More jail time for Myanmar’s Suu Kyi
Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to four years in jail for possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies and other offences.
Kidman wins Globes best film drama actress
At the Golden Globes film awards Nicole Kidman has won best actress in a motion picture drama for her portrayal of TV legend Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos.
Oscar winner Sidney Poitier dies, aged 94
Sidney Poitier, the first black actor to win an Academy Award, has died at the age of 94.
Kazakh president gives shoot-to-kill order
Kazakhstan's president has ordered his security forces to shoot to kill to deal with a countrywide uprising.
Kazakh leader says order mostly restored
Constitutional order has mostly been restored in Kazakhstan following unrest this week, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev says.
Russia sends troops to Kazakhstan
Russian paratroops have been sent into Kazakhstan to help quell unrest in the central Asian country.
Allies rally to help quell Kazakh unrest
Peacekeeping forces from a Russia-led alliance of former Soviet states will head to Kazakhstan to damp down deadly protests sparked by a rise in fuel prices.
Kazakh leader says he’ll stay amid unrest
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev says he has taken over as head of the country's Security Council, removing Nursultan Nazarbayev from the role.
Kazakh govt resigns, protests continue
A state of emergency has been declared in Kazakhstan's biggest city Almaty after protesters angry over fuel price hikes stormed government buildings.
Betty White dies just shy of 100
Career actress and cultural icon Betty White has died, aged 99.
Sth Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu dies
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and veteran of South Africa's struggle against white minority rule, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, has died at the age of 90.
EU starts legal action against Poland
The European Commission has begun legal action against Poland, escalating a conflict that has existed since the PiS party took power in 2015.
US imposes sanctions over abuse of Uighurs
The Biden administration has imposed new sanctions on Chinese biotech and surveillance companies and government entities for actions in Xinjiang province.
US panel urges Pfizer,Moderna over J&J
US advisers say most Americans should get the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines instead of the Johnson & Johnson shot due to rare but serious blood clots.
Israeli killed in West Bank shooting: govt
Israeli leaders have vowed to catch the attacker who opened fire near a Jewish settlement in the northern West Bank, killing one person and wounding two others.
WHO advises on mixing COVID-19 vaccines
Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines can be used as subsequent doses after initial doses of AstraZeneca and vice versa, the WHO says.
Maxwell lawyers call false memory expert
Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers have called psychologist Elizabeth Loftus to testify at the British socialite's sex abuse trial.
Chris Noth denies sex assault accusations
Sex and the City actor Chris Noth has denied reported accusations of sexual assault, saying his encounters with two women in 2004 and 2015 were consensual.
US concertgoers ‘accidentally suffocated’
The 10 people who lost their lives in a massive crowd surge at the Astroworld music festival in Houston, Texas, died of accidental suffocation, officials say.
All US missionaries freed in Haiti: police
A Haitian gang has released the remaining North American missionaries that it kidnapped two months ago.
Russia seeks early security talks with US
Russia says Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden could speak again before New Year.
EU leaders weigh new sanctions on Russia
An EU summit in Brussels is leaning towards strong economic sanctions against Russia to deter any threat from its military build-up on the border with Ukraine.
Bank of England hikes rates amid inflation
The Bank of England's monetary policy committee of nine members has voted eight to one in favour of increasing interest rates to 0.25 per cent.
One is not going to Sandringham- Queen cancels Christmas lunch with family
The British royals' traditional pre-Christmas family party has been cancelled by the Queen as COVID cases spike in the UK..
Norway’s central bank raises interest rate
Norway's central bank has raised its key policy interest rate from 0.25 per cent to 0.5 per cent, citing the upswing in the economy.
Libya election chaos with eight days to go
There is confusion over the fate of Libya's presidential election, eight days before people were meant to cast their votes.
Missionaries kidnapped in Haiti ‘freed’
Haitian police say all members of a US-based missionary group have been released by kidnappers.