Japan’s parliament elects first female prime minister
Japan's parliament has elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the nation's first female prime minister.
International News
Former French president begins five-year prison term
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has arrived at prison in Paris to start a five-year sentence for conspiring to raise campaign funds from Libya.
Strikes on Ukraine kill six, Putin-Trump summit shelved
Russia has launched a widespread drone and missile attack across Ukraine a day after Donald Trump put his planned meeting with Vladimir Putin on hold.
Gaza Strip truce going better than expected: Vance
US Vice President JD Vance has projected optimism about the Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement, calling progress better than anticipated.
N Korea fires missiles before leaders meet in S Korea
North Korea has fired several short-range ballistic missiles in a northeasterly direction, South Korea's military says.
China accuses Australia of air intrusion in S China Sea
China's defence ministry has urged Australia to stop "provocation and hype" about an incident involving Chinese military aircraft over the South China Sea.
US imposes sanctions on two Russian oil companies
The United States says it is prepared to take further action as it called on Moscow to agree immediately to a ceasefire in Russia's war in Ukraine.
World Court rules Israel must allow UN aid to Gaza
A panel of 11 judges at the International Court of Justice has ruled Israel has to support relief efforts provided by the United Nations in the Gaza Strip.
Retaliation: US considers broad software curbs on China
The Trump administration is weighing a dramatic escalation of its showdown with China, over Beijing's latest rare earth export restrictions.
Melania Trump sued over threats about Epstein comments
US First Lady Melania Trump allegedly threatened to sue an author if he didn't retract Jeffrey Epstein-related statements he made about her.
EU agrees on Russian sanctions targeting shadow fleet
The EU has approved a fresh round of sanctions on Russia just hours after the US sanctioned two large Russian oil firms.
China to focus on industrial system, tech self-reliance
China's ruling Communist Party says it will focus on speeding up self-reliance in technology in the coming five years.
Israeli vote on West Bank annexation an insult: Vance
US Vice President JD Vance has criticised a parliamentary vote in Israel on the annexation of the West Bank, saying the move is an "insult".
Putin defiant after Trump sanctions Russian oil majors
US sanctions over the Ukraine war are an "unfriendly" act but they will not significantly affect the Russian economy, President Vladimir Putin says.
Trump to meet China’s Xi as part of swing through Asia
The bilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping has been confirmed, despite recent tensions over tariffs.
Concerns raised as US mulls new Gaza ‘aid hubs’ plan
Multiple approaches are being considered by the United States to get aid to the people of Gaza, as the ceasefire enters its third week.
Trump cancels trade talks with Canada over tariffs ad
US President Donald Trump says he's scrapping trade negotiations with Canada over an ad that used Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs.
Websites, apps down in Amazon cloud unit outage
Disruption affecting Amazon Web Services has led to a spike in reported outages across a wide range of internet services, including Fortnite and Snapchat.
Amazon’s cloud unit back to normal after global outage
Normal operations have resumed at Amazon's cloud unit AWS after it was hit by a major outage that disrupted many of the world's biggest websites.
Hamas ‘determined’ to implement ceasefire deal
Vice President JD Vance is set to arrive in Israel as the US tries to stabilise the first, shaky, phase of the Gaza ceasefire.
European leaders back Ukraine truce at present lines
Leaders from across Europe say the current front line in Ukraine should be the starting point of negotiations for a peace deal with Russia.
Trump vows to reach a ‘fantastic deal’ with China’s Xi
US President Donald Trump says he's aiming for a breakthrough in planned talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to 48-hour ceasefire
A 48-hour ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan has taken effect following days of deadly cross-border clashes, the Taliban government says.
Russian barrage hits Ukraine gas facilities, Kyiv says
Emergency power cuts are being introduced in Ukraine as Russian strikes again target the nation's energy infrastructure ahead of winter, Kyiv says.
Madagascar coup leader to be ‘sworn in as president’
The leader of Madagascar's military coup says the armed forces will be in charge of the country for up to two years before any elections are held.
Israel and Hamas trade blame over Gaza truce violations
The return of the bodies of all hostages remains a point of tension between Israel and Hamas as aid trucks roll into Gaza and a crossing prepares to reopen.
Trump ready to meet with Xi in South Korea: Bessent
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says President Donald Trump is ready to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Prince ‘felt entitled’ to have sex with Giuffre: memoir
A posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre accuses Prince Andrew of being "entitled - as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright".
Embattled French PM survives no-confidence votes
France has avoided further political chaos after its prime minister survived votes of no confidence in parliament, with a hard job ahead on the nation's budget.
Afghanistan blames Pakistan for twin drone strikes
Afghan authorities say Pakistani forces carried out two drone strikes on Kabul on the previous day.
Israel, Hamas trade blame over truce violations
Israel remains committed to a ceasefire deal, and is urging Hamas to return the bodies of deceased hostages yet to be handed over.