Three killed as Houthi attacks hit two Saudi airports
Saudi aviation authorities say three people died in attacks on Abha and Riyadh airports, as Yemen's war spills across the border and the fight for the Red Sea widens.
75 articles by Priya Nair
Leaders in Tuvalu as Pacific presses Australia on gas
Albanese and 13 other leaders are in Tuvalu for the Pre-COP event Australia co-hosts, as Pacific ministers press Canberra over coal and gas exports.
Australia signs 10-year security pact with Ukraine
Albanese and Zelenskyy signed a security agreement in New York. Australia adds $60 million in aid, joins a naval coalition and lists more sanctions.
US, Denmark, Greenland to sign Arctic security deal
Trump says a Greenland deal gives the US permanent control over its security. Denmark says it respects Danish sovereignty. The text is not yet public.
Mecca drone widens Saudi-Houthi war on Red Sea
Saudi air defences destroyed a drone south of Mecca as the Houthis tighten their hold on Yemen's Red Sea coast, putting a second Gulf oil route at risk with Brent crude near US$108 a barrel.
IAEA refers Iran to Security Council after 20 years
The IAEA Board voted 23 to 3 with eight abstentions to report Iran to the UN Security Council, its first such referral since 2006. An Australian diplomat, former ambassador to Tehran Ian Biggs, chairs the board. Canberra has said nothing publicly.
Australia declines to join settlement trade ban
Twelve countries said on Tuesday they intend to restrict trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Australia is not among them. Penny Wong told the Senate the same day that Australia is "not, at this time, pursuing a blanket-style import ban".
Iran threatens Gulf energy after US tanker strikes
Iran's chief negotiator says the Gulf's oil and gas chain is "sprawling, accessible, and exposed" after US forces struck three Iranian tankers on Saturday, and Tehran says a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz is days away. Brent hit a seven-week high and Australian unleaded averaged 205.5 cents a litre.
AfD takes 43.8pc in Saxony-Anhalt, three seats short
The far-right Alternative for Germany more than doubled its vote to 43.8 per cent in Sunday's Saxony-Anhalt election, the official count shows, but falls three seats short of a majority and every other party in the chamber says it will not govern with it.
Pacific forum rebukes missile test as Nauru dissents
Pacific Islands Forum leaders closed their Palau meeting with a communique "registering concern" at a ballistic missile test that overflew members without notice. It does not name China, stops short of condemnation, and carries a footnote recording Nauru's dissent.
US strikes Iran as wedding deaths draw UN rebuke
The US struck Revolutionary Guard targets across southern Iran, Iran fired at four countries in reply, and Iran's Hormozgan governor's office says one strike hit a wedding, killing four. The UN chief has called for an immediate halt.
38 Australians missing in Nepal as toll passes 1,100
Nepal's disaster authority put the death toll at 1,114 on Wednesday. DFAT says 38 Australians remain unaccounted for, after four more were found safe.
US targets 60 more entities in Iran sanctions push
The US Treasury has designated more than 60 individuals, entities and vessels across five sectors and threatened secondary sanctions on third countries, while holding back the measures it called the toughest.
Canada to match US tariffs after talks collapse
Canada will match new US tariffs dollar for dollar from 8 September after Mark Carney suspended trade negotiations with Washington.
Air strike on Myanmar monastery kills 14 at retreat
A fighter jet dropped two bombs on a monastery compound in Sagaing region where more than 100 people were on a meditation retreat.
At least 15 killed in drone strike on Ukrainian mall
Two waves of Russian drones hit a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih on Friday. Zelenskyy says the second arrived about half an hour after the first.
Israel closes Frankcom case, Australia summons envoy
Israel's Military Advocate General has closed the World Central Kitchen file without charges. Canberra summoned the ambassador and ruled out expelling him.
Australia and Thailand sign scam centre crime pact
The joint statement names the agencies and the taskforces. It does not name a dollar figure, an arrest target or anything either side has agreed to fund.
Trump cuts Korea drills over Seoul's Iran refusal
Ulchi Freedom Shield began on Monday with 18,000 South Korean troops. Trump has ordered it reduced, citing Seoul's refusal to join the war on Iran.
Flores quake kills 47 as landslides block roads
A magnitude 7.7 quake struck off Flores before dawn on Saturday. Indonesia's disaster agency put the toll at 47 and landslides have cut off Nagekeo.
US says Iran blockade can run indefinitely
Pete Hegseth said the US Navy can hold its blockade of Iranian ports indefinitely. Brent traded at $87.97 and gained close to 6 per cent for the week.
Albanese asks Trump to lift 12.5 per cent tariff
The Prime Minister used his first call with the US President since March to press for an exemption from the forced labour tariff imposed in July.
Putin visits disputed Kuril island, Japan protests
The Russian president's first trip to the chain drew a formal protest from Tokyo, which claims the four southernmost islands as its Northern Territories.
Australia and Vietnam sign defence and trade deals
To Lam and Anthony Albanese signed defence, border and digital agreements in Canberra, and Vietnam restored market access for Australian game meat.
Colombia earthquake toll rises past 130
Colombian tallies put the toll from Monday's magnitude 7.4 quake at 132. The worst hit parts of Choco are reachable mainly by boat and plane.
Typhoon Dolphin lands in Zhejiang, a million moved
Typhoon Dolphin came ashore near Yuhuan in Zhejiang on Sunday evening with winds above 150km/h, after authorities moved more than a million people inland.
US sets November auction for Pacific seabed mining
Washington will auction exploration rights over more than 31 million acres of Pacific seabed on 19 November. The territories closest to it have a comment window and no vote.
US court blocks Trump's $400m ballroom
A divided appeals court upheld an injunction on the White House ballroom, ruling the project is for Congress to authorise. Trump will appeal to the Supreme Court.
Vietnam's To Lam due in Canberra on Tuesday
General Secretary and President To Lam visits from 9 to 12 August and meets Anthony Albanese on Tuesday, with two way trade flat at about $23 billion.
Iran and Oman agree a Hormuz shipping route
Tehran and Muscat have settled coordinates for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway stays shut until the US lifts its blockade, Iran says.
Cuba's power grid collapses twice in a day
Cuba's national grid failed late Sunday and again on Monday during the restart, the sixth nationwide collapse this year for an island of about 10 million.
Trump calls off Iran strikes, Hormuz talks open
Trump cancelled a planned attack on Iran, subject to a rapid deal reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Talks begin Monday, US time.
Spain sends troops to Ceuta after mass crossings
Tens of thousands crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave this week. Al Jazeera reported at least 34 dead. Madrid has deployed soldiers and police.
Drone strike hits Egyptian gas hub as talks go on
A gas terminal at an Egyptian Mediterranean port was struck on Wednesday, the first time Egypt has been hit. Pakistan says US and Iran talks continue.
Quake hits Kyushu, rescuers search collapsed mall
A magnitude 7.1 quake struck Kumamoto on Tuesday, collapsing a shopping centre floor and putting more than 170,000 people under evacuation orders.
Iran says it still controls Hormuz as bombing pauses
Tehran said on Monday it controls the Strait of Hormuz and is not seeking talks, two days after Donald Trump halted a 13-night bombing campaign.
Spain declares emergency as fires close on Bordeaux
Spain declared a national wildfire emergency and France sent 1,000 troops to a blaze nearing Bordeaux, with evacuations across both countries past 220,000.
US tariff on Australian goods rises to 12.5 per cent
The United States lifted its tariff on Australian goods to 12.5 per cent on Friday afternoon, up from 10 per cent. Beef, gold and copper are exempt.
Wong presses Wang Yi on Pacific missile test
Foreign Minister Penny Wong pressed her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi over Beijing's ballistic missile test near Tuvalu when the pair met in Manila this week, telling him Australia would cooperate where it can and disagree where it must.
Oil at six-week high as US-Iran conflict widens
Brent crude pushed above US$96 on Thursday, a six-week high, as the United States struck Iran for an 11th night and President Trump threatened to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant for every attack on Strait of Hormuz shipping.
US strikes Iran for 10th night as Hormuz tankers burn
Iran set two oil tankers ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday and the US struck Iran for a 10th night, pushing crude to five-week highs as Australia's fuel excise relief runs out on 2 August.
Andy Burnham becomes UK PM as Starmer stands down
Andy Burnham became Britain's prime minister on Monday, the seventh in a decade, after Keir Starmer resigned and King Charles III asked him to form a government.
Third US death as strikes on Iran enter ninth night
A US soldier killed in Iraq is the third American death in three days, as a ninth night of strikes on Iran began at 9am AEST and Brent oil hit US$91.
Eighth night of US strikes as Iran hits Gulf bases
The US finished an eighth night of strikes on Iran at 1.30pm AEST Sunday, and Iran answered with missiles on Kuwait and Bahrain after two US deaths in Jordan.
Strikes hit Strait islands as Hormuz traffic stalls
A seventh night of US strikes hit islands in the Strait of Hormuz as transits nearly stopped and Brent settled at a one-month high of US$88.10.
US strikes hit sixth night, Iran widens retaliation
A sixth night of US strikes hit dozens of targets, CENTCOM says. Iranian fire reached Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Qatar. Brent rose to US$85.01.
US hits Iran twice in a day, threatens power plants
A fifth day of US strikes brought two waves inside 24 hours. Trump says power plants and bridges are next without talks. Brent hit US$86.19.
Trump drops Hormuz fee as US blockade takes effect
The 20 per cent cargo fee lasted 26 hours. A US naval blockade of Iranian ports began at 6am AEST as Brent settled at US$84.73 after a one-month high.
UAE tankers hit as US strikes Iran for a third night
Two Emirati tankers were hit by Iranian cruise missiles in Omani waters, killing a crew member, as US strikes on Iran entered a third consecutive night.
Iran says Hormuz is closed. The US says it is not.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard declared the Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice and disabled a second ship. Within hours Washington said commercial vessels are still transiting, and the US Navy-led body that routes merchant traffic kept its southern corridor open.
Iran and Oman meet on Hormuz passage as shipping traffic stalls
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met his Omani counterpart in Muscat as both governments agreed to keep talking about safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, even as new data show shipping through the strait still near a standstill and Tehran and Washington divided over what their existing agreement actually requires.
US agrees to more Iran talks but declares truce over
Donald Trump says Iran asked to keep talking and the US agreed, while insisting the ceasefire is finished. Australia has an aircraft in the Gulf, a shut embassy in Tehran and no seat at the table.
Khamenei buried as US and Iran trade a second night of strikes
Iran buried Ali Khamenei in Mashhad as US forces struck about 90 more targets and Iran fired on bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, with Hormuz tanker traffic near a standstill.
US hits 80 Iranian targets after Hormuz tanker attacks
US forces struck more than 80 targets inside Iran after three tankers were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran answered with drones and missiles at bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.
NATO meets in Ankara as Trump presses spending targets
NATO's 32 leaders met in Ankara on Monday and Tuesday for a summit dominated by US pressure to enforce a 5 per cent defence-spending target and by Ukraine's push for more air-defence weapons.
China fires submarine missile into South Pacific
China fired a long-range ballistic missile from a submarine into the South Pacific, drawing protests from Australia, New Zealand and Japan within hours.
New leader absent as Iran farewells Khamenei
Iran's week-long state funeral for Ali Khamenei moved through Tehran on Monday, with the successor and son Mojtaba Khamenei still yet to appear in public four months after the strike that killed his father.
Fujimori declared Peru's president as rival rejects result
Peru's election jury proclaimed Keiko Fujimori president-elect on Friday, a month after a runoff decided by about 50,000 votes. Opponent Roberto Sánchez refuses to recognise the result.
China tells US to handle Taiwan with 'utmost caution' in Rubio call
China's foreign minister Wang Yi told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to handle Taiwan with 'utmost caution' in a July 1 phone call, the first senior diplomatic contact since President Trump's May visit to Beijing. The two governments' accounts of the call recorded different things.
US declines to renew North American trade pact at six-year review
The United States did not agree to renew the USMCA trade agreement at its six-year joint review on July 1. The deal stays in force but now faces a decade of annual reviews instead of a clean 16-year extension, with the US and Mexico due to hold further talks the week of July 20.
Australia and Vanuatu sign Nakamal security treaty, cost left undisclosed
Australia and Vanuatu signed the Nakamal Agreement in Canberra on Monday, a security and economic treaty under which Vanuatu agrees to keep foreign military bases off its territory. The cost to Australia was not disclosed, and Vanuatu's earlier objections stripped Canberra of a veto over the island nation's infrastructure deals.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey resigns over armed forces funding dispute
British Defence Secretary John Healey resigned on Saturday over a dispute about armed forces funding, with junior defence minister Al Carns also leaving the government. Neither issued a detailed statement explaining the specific terms of the disagreement.
Australian man arrested in Thailand after body of 17-year-old found in suitcase
An Australian national has been arrested by Thai authorities after the body of a 17-year-old was discovered in a suitcase in Bangkok. Thai police confirmed the arrest; formal charges had not been laid as of Saturday.
Iran walks from US talks and threatens to seal Strait of Hormuz
Iran has paused negotiations with the United States and threatened to 'completely block' the Strait of Hormuz, ruling out further talks until Israel ends operations in Lebanon and Gaza. Tehran also threatened the Bab-el-Mandeb. A fifth of the world's oil moves through Hormuz.
Ukraine strikes 12 Russian regions and Crimea overnight; Russia retaliates across Ukraine
Ukraine hit targets across approximately 12 Russian regions and Crimea overnight on Saturday, with Russia responding by striking Ukrainian cities and infrastructure before dawn. The exchange follows a similar large-scale operation two nights earlier.
Venezuela earthquake toll passes 589 and still climbing as UN scales up aid
The confirmed death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela has passed 589 and continues to rise, with thousands still missing. The UN is scaling up its humanitarian response as rescue teams work around the clock.
US Supreme Court clears path to deport 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians
The court's conservative majority sided with the Trump administration on Thursday to end Temporary Protected Status for approximately 350,000 Haitians and more than 6,000 Syrians, opening the way for mass deportations to two countries under active conflict or gang control. A separate ruling shut the asylum route at the US-Mexico border.
US strikes Iran after Hormuz drone attack as Treasury grants 60-day sanctions relief
The United States carried out strikes on Iran on Friday after a drone attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, testing an interim peace arrangement reached one week earlier. The US Treasury simultaneously granted Iran a 60-day sanctions exemption: an escalation and an olive branch on the same day.
Israeli airstrikes kill at least 12 in southern Lebanon, including two paramedics
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 12 people across southern Lebanon on Thursday according to Lebanese health officials, including two paramedics. Israel did not publicly account for all targeted sites by time of publication.
Ukraine strikes across a dozen Russian regions overnight; Russia retaliates
Ukraine launched a major nighttime attack targeting approximately 12 Russian regions and Crimea on Thursday, in one of the broader single-night operations of the conflict. Russia struck back across Ukrainian territory before dawn.
Venezuela death toll reaches 589 as rescue teams work through collapsed buildings
Two earthquakes struck Venezuela within hours of each other, killing at least 589 people with thousands missing. International teams from Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, and the United States are operating around the clock as a state of emergency remains in effect.
Two earthquakes strike Venezuela 39 seconds apart as death toll climbs and 68,000 listed missing
A magnitude 7.2 and a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the state of Yaracuy within 39 seconds of each other on June 24, causing catastrophic destruction in Caracas and La Guaira. At least 589 people were confirmed dead by June 26, with 68,900 listed as missing as rescue teams worked through collapsed buildings.
Iran and US sign 60-day ceasefire deal as Strait of Hormuz reopening remains central
A memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 established a two-month window to negotiate a permanent end to the Iran conflict. The Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 per cent of the world's traded oil passes, was blocked during the fighting and its reopening is a central condition.
G7 leaders commit $1 billion to Ebola response and reaffirm Ukraine support at Évian summit
The 52nd G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains adopted nine declarations covering Ukraine, artificial intelligence governance, critical minerals, and a billion-dollar Ebola funding commitment, with Ukrainian President Zelensky attending in person.
European Commission launches sweeping package to cut reliance on US and Chinese digital technology
The EU adopted four pieces of legislation on June 3 aimed at tripling European data centre capacity within seven years and reducing a dependence on foreign digital infrastructure that currently exceeds 80 per cent, directly targeting US cloud giants and Chinese hardware suppliers.
