Julian Assange marks first Christmas since release
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has marked his first Christmas since his release from prison in a rare photo shared by his wife Stella Assange.
International News
Sudan’s war is ‘deepening and widening’ a famine crisis
A hunger-monitoring group says half of Sudan's population now face high levels of acute food insecurity as a result of the ongoing conflict.
Israeli strike on West Bank refugee camp, eight dead
At least eight people have died in Israeli raids on a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarm, in what it described as a counter-terrorism operation.
Trump pushing death for ‘rapists, murderers, monsters’
US President-elect Donald Trump says he plans to pursue the death penalty for "monsters", after President Joe Biden commuted sentences for 37 death row inmates.
Energy systems hit in Christmas Day attack on Ukraine
Ukrainian officials say Russia has used Christmas Day to attack the country's energy systems.
Gaza war overshadows Bethlehem midnight mass
The Catholic Church's highest representative in the Holy Land, has told Palestinians in Gaza they are not alone, during a Christmas mass.
Baby freezes to death in Gaza as ceasefire talks stall
A baby girl froze to death overnight in Gaza, while Israel and Hamas accused each other of complicating ceasefire efforts that could wind down the 14-month war
Russia looking into alleged capture of Aussie mercenary
Moscow officials are seeking to verify reports the Russian army may have captured an Australian citizen fighting with Ukrainian forces.
Clashes between Syria’s new regime and Assad loyalists
Clashes between the Islamists who overthrew the Assad government in Syria and supporters of the former president have killed 14 insurgents and wounded others.
Biden condemns Russian Christmas Day attacks in Ukraine
Ukrainians have been hit by blackouts and left without heating after Russia's Christmas Day strike on the country's power infrastructure.
Prayers and tears 20 years after the Boxing Day tsunami
Mourners have visited mass graves and held ceremonies in Indonesia, Thailand and beyond to mark two decades since a massive tsunami killed 230,000 people.
Houthis fire missile at Israel after Yemen airport hit
Houthi rebels have retaliated to Israel's airstrikes on Yemen's Sanaa International Airport, described by the UN as alarming.
Cambodian opposition leader sentenced to two years jail
A Cambodian court has convicted an opposition party leader of inciting social disorder and sentenced him to two years in prison.
Fins stop Russia-linked vessel over cable damage hunch
Finnish authorities have detained a Russia-linked ship as they investigate whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables.
Azerbaijan plane downed by Russian air defences: report
There is mounting speculation an Azerbaijan Airlines flight that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day was downed by a Russian air defence system.
Israel loosened rules at start of Gaza war: NYT
Israel changed its rules of engagement at the start of the Gaza war to allow commanders more flexibility to order attacks on targets despite civilian risks.
Russian drone attack kills two in Ukraine’s Donetsk
A Ukrainian town in Donetsk on the front lines of the war has been hit with Russian drones, which struck a multi-storey apartment building, killing two people.
Uneasy calm settles over Syrian city of Homs
Syria's new rulers are scrambling to impose order as security forces checked IDs and searched cars in Homs, a day after protests erupted in gunfire.
South Korean MPs impeach acting president Han
South Korea's political crisis is threatening to intensify with the impeachment of the acting president, amid fears it could trigger a new financial crisis.
Crash over Kazakhstan caused by “external interference”
Russia says it will not comment on the cause of the Azerbaijan Airline plane crash until its official investigation is complete.
Mass North Korean troop casualties on Ukraine frontline
Some 3000 North Korean troops are reported to have been killed on the frontline in Ukraine, as fighting continues.
Israel detains director of hospital in northern Gaza
The director of one of Gaza's last functioning hospitals has been detained by Israeli forces, Palestinian officials say, after troops stormed the facility.
Putin apologises for ‘tragic’ Azerbaijan plane crash
Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologised for the "tragic incident" which resulted in the crash of an Azerbaijani passenger plane in Russian airspace.
Lebanon returns 70 officers and soldiers to Syria
About 70 Syrian officers and soldiers were detained by Lebanese officials after entering the country illegally.
Israel detains 240 including medics after hospital raid
The World Health Organization says it is "appalled" by Israeli raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.
S.Korea probes all air operations after plane disaster
South Korea's entire airline system is undergoing an urgent safety check as officials scramble to learn what caused a plane crash that killed 179 people.
The search for answers in case of schoolgirl shooter
Police in the US state of Wisconsin are examining the phone, computer and online posts of a 15-year-old girl who shot dead a student and teacher at her school.
Wisconsin school shooter was 15-year-old female student
The latest school shooting to devastate a US community has occurred at a Christian school in Wisconsin, and was carried out by a 15-year-old female student.
Major damage in Vanuatu earthquake, deaths feared
A response effort is underway in Port Vila after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Vanuatu.
Ukraine claims killing of top Russian general in Moscow
A bomb has killed a senior Russian general in charge of nuclear protection forces and another man in Moscow, state media reported.
Israeli strikes kill 14 Palestinians in Gaza: medics
An Israeli air strike on a house in a suburb of Gaza City has killed 10 people and destroyed the building and damaged nearby houses, medics say.