NEWS

The Republican-controlled US Senate was expected Thursday to approve vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary, despite major concerns from both political parties and many in the medical and scientific communities.

New research has shown that scrapping these laws could negatively affect employees' well-being and work-life balance.

The feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman has become one of the bitterest rivalries in business history, with the Tesla tycoon bidding to buy Altman's OpenAI in an apparent attempt to derail the ChatGPT maker's ascent to becoming one of the world's most important companies.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to open new fronts in his tariffs war by announcing reciprocal levies on other countries as soon as Tuesday, branding this "the only fair way" to trade.

American Marc Fogel is back on US soil Wednesday after being released from a Russian prison, in what US President Donald Trump said he hoped was the start of warming ties between Washington and Moscow.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said that people in regional and remote Australia should have access to dependable, affordable, and convenient air travel.

Google on Monday changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America" for those using its Maps platform inside the United States, complying with an executive order by President Donald Trump.

South Korea's suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol blamed the "malicious" opposition for his decision to declare martial law, telling a court on Tuesday that their refusal to applaud him or shake his hand exposed their plans to "destroy" his government.

New Zealand is considering withdrawing its support for an international ban on deep-sea mining, the country's resources minister told AFP on Tuesday.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen vowed on Tuesday to retaliate firmly against US President Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.

The official X handle of the video game console stated Sunday, "Network services have fully recovered from an operational issue. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank the community for their patience."

French President Emmanuel Macron trumpeted the benefits of artificial intelligence Sunday, ahead of a two-day Paris summit on the technology and its potential benefits and pitfalls.

Deep in a Bavarian forest, a black reconnaissance drone buzzes overhead, piloted by US soldiers hoping to put lessons learnt from the war in Ukraine into practice.

Artificial intelligence (AI) risks reinforcing gender disparities rather than immediate widespread job destruction, the International Labour Organization chief said Monday as a summit of national leaders and tech bosses opened in Paris.

Nearly all nations missed a UN deadline Monday to submit new targets for slashing carbon emissions, including major economies under pressure to show leadership following the US retreat on climate change.

Philadelphia's 40-22 Super Bowl victory on Sunday was marked by the presence of President Donald Trump, crowds booing Taylor Swift, and Kansas City's crushing loss.

In total, credit and debit card spending for December exceeded AU$80 billion, marking an increase of AU$882.5 million compared to November

An Israeli campaign group urged the government on Friday to stick with the Gaza truce ahead of a fifth hostage-prisoner swap, after explosive comments by US President Donald Trump raised questions over the future of the deal.

China's new tariffs on US imports like oil, coal and cars are relatively modest in scale, suggesting that Beijing is hoping for a last-minute deal but also giving them the option to inflict more pain if needed, analysts say.

"I still can't believe it. I only treat myself to lotteries when there's a big jackpot, and I saw AU$100m on offer in Oz Lotto and decided to give it a go. I love my job, but I won't need to work seven days a week anymore – it's actually really nice to think that I won't need to work," the winner said.

China on Tuesday said it would probe US tech giant Google over violations of anti-monopoly laws after Washington slapped 10 percent levies on Chinese goods.

Two Panamanian lawyers filed a complaint Monday to cancel the concession of a Hong Kong-based company for operating two ports on the Panama Canal, following US President Donald Trump's threats to seize the vital waterway.

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will meet President Donald Trump on a visit to the United States this week, top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Tuesday.

An east Ukrainian crime boss and separatist wanted by Kyiv was killed with one other person in a blast at a luxury residential complex in Moscow on Monday, Russian media reported.

EU leaders meeting in Brussels Monday warned there would be no winners in a trade war with the United States, insisting they would hit back if President Donald Trump imposes tariffs.

Fast-moving floodwaters rose Monday in northeastern Australia after forcing many to flee, blacking out homes, and sweeping away a chunk of a critical bridge.

Faced with the first big test of his new administration, Donald Trump wanted to show he was in control.

Hamas and Israel will carry out their fourth hostage-prisoner swap of the Gaza ceasefire on Saturday, with the militant group to free three Israeli captives in exchange for 90 inmates in Israeli jails.

Israel will cut ties with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Thursday following accusations it provided cover for Hamas militants, a move likely to hamper delivery of its vital services after 15 months of war in Gaza.