NZ PM Ardern tests positive for COVID-19
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is isolating after testing positive for COVID-19, she says in an Instagram post.
International News
Israel police beat reporter funeral crowds
Israeli police have charged at a crowd of mourners at the procession to the funeral of al-Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh.
Ukraine war rages on multiple fronts
Russian losses in Ukraine are mounting, after an armoured column was caught trying to cross a river in the Donbas region.
N.Korea reports first COVID-19 death
North Korea says one person has died from COVID-19, a day after the country announced its first coronavirus outbreak of the pandemic.
Sri Lanka names new PM amid growing crisis
Five-time former Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has ben reappointed in an effort to bring stability to the crisis-hit island nation.
Europe toll 2 million as Africa cases rise
More than two million people in the 53 countries of the World Health Organisation's European region have been confirmed to have died from COVID-19.
Ukraine forces thwart Russian tanks
Russian forces have suffered more setbacks on the battlefield in Ukraine as diplomatic pressure continues on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to stop the war.
First image taken of Milky Way black hole
Astronomers have revealed an image of the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way galaxy for the first time.
N.Korea confirms 1st COVID-19 outbreak
North Korea has confirmed its first COVID-19 outbreak, calling it the country's "biggest emergency incident", with leader Kim Jong-un ordering a lockdown.
Abortion rights bill fails in US Senate
Senate Republicans have blocked a Democrat-led bill aimed a preserving abortion access in the US, in a vote triggered by the expected overturning of Roe v Wade.
Ukraine pushes back Russians
Ukrainian forces are driving Russian troops out of the region around the second largest city Kharkiv, as Finland gets ready to join NATO without delay.
HK holds Catholic cardinal on ‘collusion’
Hong Kong authorities have reportedly arrested a Roman Catholic cardinal, a singer and two others for alleged "collusion with foreign forces".
NZ to open border fully from end of July
The New Zealand government wil bring forward the full reopening of its international border to the end of July, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced.
Apple discontinues iPod after 20 years
Apple has pulled the plug on the iPod more than two decades after introducing the game-changing music player, sayings it's been replaced by other devices.
Global tests dip, WHO doubts China policy
World Health Organisation head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says China's zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy will probably need to change.
Sri Lanka protesters call for new govt
Demonstrators are demanding a new government take control of Sri Lanka's crisis following deadly clashes and the prime minister's resignation.
Ukraine claims battlefield successes
Momentum could be shifting in Ukraine's favour in the northeast, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Russian forces are gradually being pushed out of Kharkiv.
Ukraine’s Odesa douses fires after strikes
Russian forces have hit targets in the east and south of Ukraine and are pushing to defeat the last Ukrainian troops holding out in a steelworks in Mariupol.
Violence rocks Sri Lanka as PM quits
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has resigned after clashes broke out between rival political activists in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.
Putin says West was preparing to invade
Russia's intervention in Ukraine was necessary because the West was "preparing for the invasion of our land, including Crimea", President Vladimir Putin says.
Fierce Ukraine fighting as WWII win marked
About 60 people are feared dead after a bomb struck a school in eastern Ukraine as Russia prepares to mark victory over the Nazis in World War II.
Russia bombs school, Ukrainians flee plant
Russian bombing of a school in eastern Ukraine has left 60 people feared dead in the rubble while civilians have been evacuated from the steelworks in Mariupol.
Mariupol’s stand as Putin eyes victory
Ukraine believes Vladimir Putin's determination to take control of Mariupol has reached a crucial stage, ahead of Victory Day in Russia.
Efforts underway to save Mariupol fighters
The defenders at the Azovstal steelworks in the city of Mariupol, Ukraine have vowed not to surrender amid fears Russian forces want to wipe them out.
Sri Lanka govt declares state of emergency
Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has declared a state of emergency in the country effective from midnight, officials say.
Australian woman missing in Mexico
Mexican authorities say an Australian woman is missing after her two-year-old daughter was found wandering alone in the resort city of Cancun.
WHO links 14.9mln deaths to COVID-19
Nearly 15 million people were killed either by the coronavirus or by its impact on overwhelmed health systems in the first two years of the pandemic, WHO says.
New effort to evacuate Mariupol civilians
Russia's new war front in Mariupol is aimed at limiting Ukraine's access to the Black Sea, vital for its grain and metals exports.
Virus cases dip except in Americas, Africa
Global coronavirus infections have dropped 17 per cent in the past week, the World Health Organisation says.
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy appeals for truce
After failing to capture the Kyiv, Russia has accelerated attacks on Ukraine's east and south while thousands of people remain trapped in Mariupol.
EU sanctions as fighting rages in Ukraine
The European Union is expected to spell out proposed new sanctions, including a ban on imports of Russian oil by the end of this year.