POLITICS & POLICY

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday slammed the US embassy for what he called a "weak" statement that did not blame Russia for a missile strike on his home town which killed 18 people, including nine children.

In unveiling tariffs this week challenging the decades-old international trade order, President Donald Trump lambasted globalization as a raw deal for the United States that has devastated US manufacturing towns.

When South Korea's Constitutional Court ruled to uphold the impeachment of president Yoon Suk Yeol, thousands of protesters gathered outside to watch a live broadcast erupted into wild cheers, with some bursting into tears.

The U.S. tariffs on Heard Island and McDonald Islands -- part of Australian external territory -- are home to valuable Patagonian toothfish fisheries. The 10% tariff could impact the price and availability of this premium fish, especially in high-end U.S. restaurants.

Israel announced the launch of a new ground offensive in Gaza City on Friday, with rescuers saying military operations had killed at least 30 people across the Palestinian territory since dawn.

Vast new Chinese barges spotted off the country's south coast could be used to land heavy equipment and thousands of personnel in a possible invasion of Taiwan, defence experts say.

South Korea's Constitutional Court on Friday unanimously upheld President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment over his disastrous martial law declaration, stripping him of office and triggering fresh elections after months of political turmoil.

From European wines to industrial tools, global tariffs launched by US President Donald Trump this week promise to sweep through the world's biggest economy, impacting everyone from restaurant owners to industrial manufacturers.

Syria accused Israel on Thursday of mounting a deadly destabilisation campaign after a wave of strikes on military targets, including an airport, and a ground incursion killed 13 people.

The European Union is "ready for a trade war" with the United States and plans to "attack online services" in response to Donald Trump's new tariffs, the French government spokeswoman said Thursday.

Australia has pledged financial support for affected exporters. A fund offering AU$1 billion in zero-interest loans will be made available, and the government will direct departments to prioritize purchasing Australian-made goods.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told nervous NATO members on Thursday that Washington remained committed to the alliance, but said they must agree to massively ramp up their spending targets for defence.

The head of Myanmar's junta arrived in Bangkok on Thursday for a regional summit as the death toll from his country's devastating earthquake passed 3,000.

South Korea's Constitutional Court is set to rule Friday on whether to strip impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol of office over his abortive declaration of martial law which plunged the country into political chaos.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said in an interview published Wednesday that she would use all possible legal avenues to stand in 2027 elections despite a ban on her running and hailed the promise of a speedy appeal of her criminal conviction.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads Wednesday to a NATO meeting in Europe as transatlantic tensions soar, with President Donald Trump slapping tariffs on Europeans and challenging Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland.

The World Health Organization is facing a gaping deficit this year and through 2027 following the US decision to withdraw, even after dramatically slashing its budget, a media report indicated Wednesday.

"There's AU$4.2 trillion of members' money under management in superannuation," Mary Delahunty, chief executive of ASFA, said. "That makes Australia one of the top investors in the world." Within the next five to seven years, Australia is expected to surpass the U.K. and Canada, making it the second-largest pool of capital globally.

Val Kilmer, one of the biggest Hollywood actors of the 1990s who shot to fame playing Iceman in the original "Top Gun", has died aged 65 after a career of memorable hits and on-set bust ups.

Israel has been gripped by allegations linking aides of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to financing from Qatar, which hosts Hamas leaders and helped broker the release of hostages from Gaza.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of military operations in Hamas-run Gaza, saying the army would seize "large areas" of the Palestinian territory.

El Salvador's pugilistic president has become a key partner for US President Donald Trump's in-your-face campaign to deport migrants, with both men hoping to reap the political benefits.

Rescuers on Wednesday pulled a man alive from the rubble five days after Myanmar's devastating earthquake, as calls grew for the junta to allow more aid in and halt attacks on rebels.

Donald Trump's second presidency was dealt a spinning blow by voters in Wisconsin Tuesday as they elected a liberal judge to the state's Supreme Court, despite his powerful advisor Elon Musk pouring millions into the race to sway the polls.

The conviction of French far right leader Marine Le Pen and immediate ban on standing for political office has stunned her movement, sparked impassioned reactions abroad and added further uncertainty to the 2027 presidential race.

"The idea that we would weaken biosecurity laws is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. In order to defend the exports that total less than 5% of Australia's exports, you undermine our biosecurity system," Albanese told reporters in Adelaide.

As the sirens wailed outside the ruins of Mandalay's Sky Villa condominium and Myanmar began a minute's silence for its more than 2,000 earthquake dead, Shwe Sin thought of her missing child.

An Israeli strike Tuesday killed three people, Lebanon said, as a source close to Hezbollah said one of the group's officials was targeted in the second such strike on south Beirut during a fragile four-month ceasefire.

Kenya's President William Ruto sparked protests recently after donating some $150,000 to a Nairobi church just months after saying such hand-outs fuelled corruption.