Australia heatwave live updates: bushfires raze scores of properties as new warnings issued in Victoria and NSW; Townsville braces for cyclone Koji
Total fire ban in place for whole of Victoria as bushfires burn, while Sydney prepares for the brunt of the heatwave‘If you have been told to leave, go’: Victorian premier declares state of disaster in multiple areas as bushfires burn out of controlCFA volunteer Simon fought the fire that destroyed his own home: ‘I knew eventually it would get to us’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNSW working to send more firefighting teams to VictoriaNew South Wales is moving to send additional firefighting teams to Victoria after a request for assistance, the premier says.There’s over 90 firefighters from NSW in Victoria. At the moment their agencies have asked for more strike teams. My understanding is the RFS is filling those gaps as quickly as possible and sending them across the Murray.It will be an incredibly challenging day for the health system, as well as the RFS and Fire and Rescue.And we’re calling on the community to do their bit, and that means look after one enough, particularly the vulnerable, particularly the old and the young. Make sure that you look after your pets as well. Continue reading...
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Greenlanders unnerved as they find themselves in geopolitical storm
Islanders want a bigger say in their ties with Denmark, but also on the world stage too.
Trump’s territorial ambition: new imperialism or a case of the emperor’s new clothes?
Trump’s attack on Venezuela suggests expansionism is under way but some argue it is simply standard US foreign policy stripped of hypocrisyThe attack on Venezuela and the seizure of its president was a shocking enough start to 2026, but it was only the next day, when the smoke had dispersed and Donald Trump was flying from Florida to Washington DC in triumph, that it became clear the world had entered a new era.The US president was leaning on a bulkhead on Air Force One, in a charcoal suit and gold tie, regaling reporters with inside details of the abduction of Nicolás Maduro. He claimed his government was “in charge” of Venezuela and that US companies were poised to extract the country’s oil wealth. Continue reading...
Lynne and Peter return to find their house still standing but others left devastated after Harcourt bushfire
Dozens of properties including some owned by firefighters and local councillors destroyed in fire that ripped through Victorian townFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPeter Suelzle holds up the brass house numbers that were once attached to the gate post of his home on Coolstore Road in Harcourt.The post has been incinerated by the fire that ripped through the Victorian town the night before, but miraculously the home he shares with his mother and his wife, Lynne, still stands. All around the house, right up to the brick perimeter, the bushes and trees he planted are still smoking. The sheds are buckled, their contents reduced to toxic rubble. Continue reading...
New protests erupt in Iran as supreme leader signals upcoming crackdown
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calls protesters ‘vandals’ and ‘saboteurs’ and blames US for instigating the unrestIranians took to the streets in new protests on Friday to press the biggest movement against the Islamic republic in more than three years, as authorities sustained an internet blackout as part of a crackdown that has left dozens dead.Iran’s supreme leader vowed that authorities will not back down in the face of the rapidly growing protest movement, setting the stage for an intensified violent crackdown. Continue reading...
Syria live: Fighting resumes in Aleppo after ceasefire collapses
The Syrian army is locked in intense fighting in Aleppo after SDF fighters refused to withdraw under a ceasefire.
Venezuela Updates: Trump’s Push to Invest in Venezuela Gets a Tepid Response From Oil Executives
Meeting with leaders of Exxon Mobil, Chevron and other oil companies, the president said he wanted the industry to invest $100 billion in rebuilding the infrastructure in Venezuela.
SA premier denies pressuring Adelaide festival to drop Randa Abdel-Fattah
Letter from 11 South Australian cultural leaders labels cancellation of Palestinian-Australian’s participation a ‘grave mistake’ which brought festival into disreputeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe South Australian premier has denied exerting pressure on the Adelaide festival board to disinvite Randa Abdel-Fattah as a speaker at Adelaide Writers’ Week, while reiterating that he agreed with the decision.The board dumped the Palestinian Australian academic as a speaker on Thursday, citing “cultural sensitivity” after the Bondi attack. Continue reading...
Analysis: Why Venezuela’s military holds the key to country’s future
Whether Trump or Rodriguez, running Venezuela will need the help of its military, which has incentives to strike a deal.
More than 100 buildings destroyed and 300,000 hectares burned as Victoria’s bushfires rage
Fires may continue for ‘weeks’, authorities warn, as three missing people found safeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAt least 119 structures are believed to have been destroyed in bushfires across Victoria and more than 300,000 hectares of bushland burned as the state continues to battle blazes that may rage for “weeks”.Emergency management commissioner, Tim Wiebusch, told the media on Saturday that about 50 homes had been lost in the Ravenswood and Harcourt fire, which was believed to be a “conservative number”. The Bendigo railway line had also been damaged by fire and was closed. Continue reading...