POLITICS & POLICY

The roar of artillery fire was deafening as Tetyana conferred with neighbours in her small village, which hugs the Russian border, over whether they should hold tight or flee.

Palestinians fled southern Gaza's main city on Sunday as Israel warned of a new military operation, a day after one of the deadliest reported strikes in more than 10 months of war.

A week of racism-fuelled disorder in Northern Ireland, sparked by disturbances in English towns and cities, is proving harder to end, with fears the UK region's sectarian divisions are feeding into the violence.

Thousands of Ukrainian troops are taking part in a major incursion into Russian territory, aiming to destabilise Russia by showing up its weaknesses, a top Ukrainian official has told AFP. "We are on the offensive.

Moscow on Saturday mounted a "counter-terror operation" in three border regions adjoining Ukraine to halt Kyiv's biggest cross-border offensive in the two-and-a-half-year conflict.

Gaza's civil defence agency said Saturday at least 90 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced people in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Haifa's residents gaze warily on to the sprawling industrial port that flanks their Israeli city, knowing the potential for a major blast as they brace for bombardment from Hezbollah.

Fears of a major escalation between Israel and Hezbollah have left many Lebanese on edge, exacerbating mental health problems and reviving traumas of past conflicts in the war-weary country.

Crowds fleeing Khan Yunis after an Israeli evacuation order gave way to empty streets on Friday as Palestinian residents tried to escape a new Israeli military operation in Gaza's main southern area.

Under the proposed policy shift, the Zone Tax Offset (ZTO) and other regional concessions will be rolled out, aiming to soften the higher living costs faced by residents living in the areas.

Ukraine pressed on with a major cross-border incursion into Russia on Friday, also launching a significant air attack on a Russian airfield hundreds of kilometres behind the front lines.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on Thursday to maintain intensive efforts to stop further far-right riots in English towns and cities, as more people were convicted for their roles in the unrest.

This salary boost is conditional on childcare center agreeing to a 4.4% fee ceiling over the next year.

Israel committed a costly "strategic mistake" with its killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, Iran's acting foreign minister told AFP in an interview on Thursday.

Donald Trump scheduled a short-notice media event Thursday at his Florida resort as rumblings of discontent hit his presidential campaign and poll numbers surge for his election rival Kamala Harris.

Ukraine could soon unleash robot dogs on its front lines, replacing soldiers for perilous missions like spying on Russian trenches or detecting mines.

Carles Puigdemont -- the former leader of Catalonia who fled Spain over his role in a failed 2017 independence bid for the wealthy region -- returned to Spain on Thursday to address supporters before vanishing despite an extensive police deployment to arrest him.

Speirs, who was at the helm of the Liberal party since the 2022 state election, said that he could no longer handle the overwhelming demands of the role, which affected his personal life and his ability to lead the party effectively.

Sitting at a cafe in Moscow, Yulia swiped through a carousel of men on her phone's dating app, trying to guess if the people in the pictures shared her views.

Thousands of anti-racism protesters took to the streets in several English cities on Wednesday to oppose days of far-right violence that have had UK police on high alert.

This additional cash will support a record wage increase for nurses and midwives over the next three years.

Miles also pledged to establish at least 12 state-owned fuel stations that would operate on a cost-recovery basis and offer petrol, diesel, and electric vehicle (EV) charging.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, said, "This will mean more maritime patrol aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft operating from bases across northern Australia. It will also mean more frequent rotational bomber deployments."

China carried out a combat patrol to test "strike capabilities" near a flashpoint reef in the South China Sea on Wednesday, as the United States and its allies held joint military drills in the same waters.

Patricia Russell was only six when she said farewell to her father Eric Liddell for the final time but she retains fond memories of the athlete immortalised in the Oscar-winning film "Chariots of Fire".

Russia said Tuesday it deployed air and artillery firepower to try to quash an armed Ukrainian border incursion after pro-Kyiv fighters stormed across the border with tanks and armoured vehicles.

Citing recent data from the Home Affairs, Universities Australia chief executive Luke Sheehy said the impact of less than 60,000 students arriving in Australia meant an economic loss of AU$4.3 billion and the loss of thousands of jobs in the university sector.

""Northern Territory has the highest unmet demand at 23% in 2024. New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland have the lowest shortfall of unmet demand at 5% in 2024," a government report said.

Ukraine has received its first batch of US-made F-16 fighter jets, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday, quickly adding that more are needed to beat back Russian forces.