Today
Dozens dead, more than a hundred injured in fire at Swiss Alps bar
The Italian foreign ministry said in a statement that Swiss police believe more than 40 people may have died in the blaze.
China imposes beef quotas, now all eyes on Australia’s EU trade deal
The Australian Meat Industry Council said it was “extremely disappointed” and warned beef exports to China could fall by about a third from recent levels.
Human rights commissioner backs royal commission into Bondi attack
Lorraine Finlay has become the first government-appointed official to openly back a royal commission into the massacre that claimed the lives of 15 people.
Inside Sam Kerr’s lavish wedding to fiancee Kristie Mewis
The Matildas and Chelsea striker married Kristie Mewis at a private mansion outside Perth on New Year’s Eve.
UK hacker who ‘barely finished high school’ wins visa by infiltrating DFAT
Jacob Riggs, 36, hacked into the site in less than two hours to show he had the expertise required for a rare permit given only to highly skilled professionals.
Russia releases ‘laughable’ video of downed Ukrainian drone
An investigation found none of Vladimir Putin’s neighbours heard a sound and that less than half of the reported drones even flew into the region.
ASX set for soggy start to 2026 as inflation threat looms
A retreat in precious metals and crude prices is likely to weigh on resources stocks and the broader sharemarket on the first trading day of the year.
Illegal fireworks become scourge of NYE celebrations
Hundreds of illegal fireworks were set off across Victoria and NSW injuring revellers overnight, while police arrested more than 50 people for a range of offences.
Drummers pound in the new year as others mark 2026 with defiance, hope
A countdown to midnight was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and Russians celebrated in snowy Moscow. In Japan, temple bells rang.
These luxury lodges are turning high-end tourism on its head
Growth in the high-end market is being driven by cashed-up travellers wanting to tap into the unique experiences Australia can provide.
Did we underestimate Kate Hudson?
Through genuine word of mouth, Hollywood insiders are saying “Song Sung Blue” is the best work of the actor’s career.
Two dead, two missing in ‘horrific’ 24 hours on NSW beaches
A 14-year-old boy and a man in his 20s are the subjects of frantic searches at Palm Beach and Coogee after a series of drownings on New Year’s morning.
Victorian treasury warning over razor-thin $700m operating surplus
Donald Trump’s tariffs did not hit the Victorian economy as badly as treasury first feared, but the new taxes still pose a significant risk to the state.
‘Mediocre’: Trump celebrates French citizenship for George Clooney
In a Truth Social post, the US president also used the news to criticise France’s open borders, while referring to Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
‘Furious’: Queen Camilla recalls being groped on a train as a teen
Camilla said she decided to speak up because domestic violence has been a “taboo subject” for so long that most people don’t realise how bad the situation was.
US stocks stumble into year-end, silver slumps anew
The S&P 500 falls 0.7 per cent in low volume in final trading day of the year, paring its 2025 gain to 16.4 per cent; US 10-year yield spikes to 4.17 per cent.
US dollar set for worst year since 2017 with Fed drama centre stage
With at least two rate reductions priced in for this year, the US’s policy path diverges from some of its developed peers, further dimming the dollar’s appeal.
Trump shares editorial critical of Putin after setback in talks
The New York Post lists Russia’s support for Iran, and its backing for Venezuela, to argue that “across the world, Russia is opposing Trump’s agenda”.
France aims to ban under-15s from social media: report
President Emmanuel Macron wants to follow Australia whose world-first ban for under-16s on social media platforms came into force in December.
Inside China’s six-decade campaign to dominate rare earths
It was April 1964 and Chinese geologists had discovered that an iron ore mine, near Mongolia, also held the world’s largest deposit of 17 critical metals.
