Top World News

Dec 8, 2025 - World

President refers jokingly to renamed ‘Trump-Kennedy Center’ at celebration of stars from music and filmDonald Trump added another job title – awards host – to his presidential portfolio on Sunday when he took charge of the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, claiming his show was getting “rave reviews” even before it ended.The US president stayed away from the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts during his first term. But since returning to office in January, he has made the complex a lightning rod in a broader attack against what he has labelled “woke” anti-American culture. Continue reading...

Dec 8, 2025 - World

Reform campaign accused by ex-councillor of falsely reporting expenses during Farage’s run to become MP last yearUK politics live – latest updatesThe Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, has been urged to “come clean” over his election campaign in Clacton after a former aide claimed his party breached spending rules.Farage’s campaign has been accused of falsely reporting his election expenses during his successful run to become an MP last year. Continue reading...

Dec 8, 2025 - World

Concerns over recording of meetings at coordination centre excluding Palestinians that was set up to provide support for Trump’s Gaza planIsraeli operatives are conducting widespread surveillance of US forces and allies stationed at a new US base in the country’s south, according to sources briefed on disputes about open and covert recordings of meetings and discussions.The scale of intelligence gathering at the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) prompted the US commander of the base, Lt Gen Patrick Frank, to summon an Israeli counterpart for a meeting to tell him that “recording has to stop here”. Continue reading...

Dec 8, 2025 - World

Chalmers flags pressure on national finances as Reserve Bank contemplates possibility of interest rate rises next year Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJim Chalmers has foreshadowed more “difficult decisions” in next week’s mid-year budget update after cabinet decided not to extend billions of dollars in energy bill rebates into the new year.The withdrawal of the power bill subsidies comes as the Reserve Bank’s monetary policy board mulls a recent rebound in inflation that could force the central bank to hike interest rates next year. Continue reading...

Dec 8, 2025 - World

Exclusive: Labor’s minister for communications and sport has stood by her use of family travel expenses as within the rulesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnika Wells claimed more than $8,500 in family travel expenses to Melbourne during AFL grand final weekends in 2022, 2023 and 2024, when she received free suite tickets to the matches.The minister for communications and sport has stood by her use of family travel expenses as within the rules, but the Coalition opposition is demanding reforms to expense rules and an inquiry into Wells’ spending by the independent parliamentary expenses authority (IPEA), which tracks and reports politicians’ spending on travel and office expenses. Continue reading...