UK PM held ‘birthday party’ in lockdown
Embattled British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing backlash after it was alleged he held a birthday party at his offices during the first UK lockdown.
International News
Military junta now controls Burkina Faso
Burkino Faso's army says it has staged a successful coup d'etat, ousting President Roch Kabore and dissolving the government.
Assange extradition can go to top UK court
Julian Assange will be able to go to Britain's Supreme Court to challenge a decision allowing the WikiLeaks founder to be extradited to the US.
Samoa locks down after Qld plane cases
The prime minister of Samoa has placed the country into a 48-hour lockdown after 15 passengers on a flight from Australia tested positive for COVID-19.
Drinking water the priority in Tonga: govt
Tonga's government says drinking water is the priority, and a national emergency team has already distributed 60,000 litres to residents.
Singer Meat Loaf has died aged 74
US singer Meat Loaf, whose hits included Bat Out of Hell, has died aged 74.
World rushes aid to tsunami-hit Tonga
The first flights from Australia and New Zealand have landed in Tonga with much-needed supplies of water for sanitation and hygiene as well as shelter.
Pristine coral reef found off Tahiti
A pristine, 3km-long reef of giant rose-shaped corals has been found by scientists off the coast of Tahiti.
Aid on way to Tonga as airport reopens
Aircraft loaded with humanitarian supplies have departed Australia and New Zealand for the tsunami-hit Pacific island nation of Tonga.
Water crisis looms in tsunami-hit Tonga
Tonga's airport remains smothered in ash and communications are being hampered by the severing of an undersea cable after a volcanic eruption and tsunami.
Three dead as Tonga island homes destroyed
Tonga officials say waves reaching up to 15 metres hit some of the country's islands, with at least three people killed after a volcanic eruption and tsunami.
NZ considering new COVID border strategy
COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins says New Zealand will make a fresh call on border settings "within the next couple of weeks".
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.
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.