NEWS

Due to the severe weather and a high number of power failures, some customers may experience long outages, especially in areas where special equipment like elevated work platforms is needed for repairs.

The Disaster Recovery Allowance is a temporary income support payment for people who can show they lost income because of a disaster. It is available for up to 13 weeks for employees, small business owners, and farmers who have lost their main source of income.

North Korea fired "multiple unidentified ballistic missiles" on Monday, South Korea's military said, the same day Seoul and Washington began a major annual joint military drill known as Freedom Shield.

Pensioners will see the biggest boost, with those on the maximum single-rate Age Pension receiving an extra AU$4.60 per fortnight, raising their total payment to AU$1,149.

Torrential rain from the remnants of Cyclone Alfred flooded swathes of Australia's east coast on Monday, as workers battled to restore power to more than 190,000 homes and businesses.

On a lush green hilltop on Israel's northern border with Lebanon, Carmela Keren Yakuti proudly shows off her home in Dovev, which she fled more than 16 months ago over fears of a Hezbollah attack.

Pope Francis's condition remained stable but complex on Friday as he battles pneumonia in hospital, the Vatican said, a day after releasing an audio message in which the 88-year-old sounded weak and breathless.

"I'm confident that the insurance companies know what they need to do, I'm confident that they're putting in place the arrangements to process lots of claims," Treasurer Jim Chalmers stated.

Violent winds toppled power lines Friday as a tropical cyclone inched towards Australia's eastern coast, swelling rivers, sparking evacuation orders and leaving 80,000 homes without electricity.

Cyclones are unpredictable, and a delayed arrival can impact their strength, as they gain energy from warm ocean waters, meaning the longer they stay over water, the more powerful they can become.

President Trump delivered a historically long address to Congress Tuesday, as Democrats protested by walking out and refusing to clap while he enumerated his accomplishments.

Authorities have long warned about foreign espionage agencies, particularly from China, using social media platforms to target individuals with access to U.S. government secrets.

According to Facebook users, the hashtag #cyclonealfred led to a blank page, which read: "Posts with cyclonealfred are temporarily hidden here. Some content in those posts goes against our Community Standards."

Aside from tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, Trump has also gone hard on China, slapping an additional 10% tariff on certain Chinese goods last month, a move that drew sharp criticism from Beijing.

The health department also asked employees to respond to a request for information about their recent accomplishments from DOGE, changing its previous stance that allowed them to ignore the request without consequences. Employees were told to submit their responses by midnight.

The coasts of Queensland and NSW were expected to be the most affected starting Wednesday, with the most severe conditions anticipated on Friday, when Alfred was forecast to make landfall.

The survey found that 76% of Democrats believe all children born in the U.S. should automatically become citizens. This view was shared by 54% of Independents and 26% of Republicans.

Billionaire and head of DOGE Elon Musk has publicly backed the idea of the US withdrawing from NATO and the United Nations.

European leaders vowed to ramp up efforts to support Ukraine, including discussing the formation of a "coalition of the willing" to create a peace plan and present it to U.S. President Donald Trump.

As the tropical cyclone headed toward a heavily populated part of Australia's coast for the first time in 50 years, the Queensland government has warned the residents to get ready for impact.

Reports say that Kash Patel aims to strengthen the FBI through collaboration with the UFC, whose CEO, Dana White, is a wealthy businessman known for supporting President Donald Trump's re-election.

AG Pam Bondi has released the first phase of the "Epstein Files," but they were nothing more than heavily-redacted lists and a blacked-out masseuse list as well as information that appears to have been previously released.

Elon Musk admitted to President Trump's cabinet members that it was a "mistake" for the DOGE to have canceled the USAID's Ebola prevention initiative, and he said the program immediately "restored," but some current and former officials deny his "restoration" claim.

President Donald Trump confirmed reports of a deal between the US and Ukraine, with plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in DC on Friday.

The Pentagon issued a new policy through a legal memo that seeks to "separate" transgender service members from the military, and those who want to stay will need to adhere to severe restrictions in their daily activities in service.

Customers holding an active hospital or extras policy with Medibank as of June 30, 2025, will qualify for the refund, which will be processed by the end of September.

President Trump has announced a new immigration program with a direct pathway to becoming an American citizen, but it's only for "high-level" people with funds available to purchase what he called the "Gold Card."

DNI Tulsi Gabbard ordered the termination and revocation of security clearances for the employees, condemning their actions as a breach of trust and professionalism.

President Donald Trump was under fire for sharing an AI-generated video of "Trump Gaza," which featured the war-torn strip with a a larger-than-life golden statue of Trump, free-flowing cash from Elon Musk, and a resort region.