World

World news from every region: conflicts, elections, diplomacy, disasters and the people at the centre of them.

7538 articles · page 75 of 158 · The World front page

Geopolitics

Rubio: Iran Missed Multiple Opportunities for Nuclear Deal as Talks Stall

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Iran has passed up multiple chances to reach a deal on its nuclear program, as talks between Washington and Tehran over a lasting Middle East peace agreement remain stalled. The absence of an agreement has coincided with increased attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, where vessels now rely on U.S. military protection to navigate the critical waterway, and oil prices have moved higher following separate attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on airports in Saudi Arabia.

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Australia

Coalition and Greens unite against Labor plan to scrap private health bonus for over-65s

Coalition and Greens senators have joined forces to oppose the Albanese government's plan to abolish the private health insurance rebate bonus for Australians aged over 65, as new modelling reveals the majority of those affected have an annual income below $37,000. The bipartisan revolt threatens the reform's passage through parliament and the $3 billion in savings Labor is counting on to fund aged care beds and cover its backdown on charging older Australians for at-home care services.

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World

Police routinely failing to investigate revenge porn, super-complaint alleges

Lawyers and charities have filed a police super-complaint alleging that forces in England and Wales are routinely failing to investigate image-based abuse, with charges brought in an average of just 4.5% of cases last year despite a surge in reports. The complaint, submitted by Leigh Day, the Centre for Women's Justice and #NotYourPorn, argues that the policing response is 'fragmented, inconsistent and incapable of meeting the scale of the threat.'

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World

Death toll in Russian strikes on Ukraine rises to at least 24, including children, as Zelenskyy decries 'birthday gift' to Putin

At least 24 people, including four children, have been killed and more than 50 wounded in a wave of Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine on Wednesday, with the heaviest loss of life in the northern city of Pryluky, where a five-storey residential building was obliterated. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the assault, which coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday, was one of the 'most vile' of the war, involving 70 missiles, many of them ballistic.

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US Politics

Cornell rape lawsuit exposes 'voluntary intoxication loophole' in US consent laws

A sexual assault lawsuit against Cornell University fraternity members has reignited debate over consent laws in the United States, particularly the legal distinction between voluntary and involuntary intoxication. The woman, identified as Jane Doe, alleges she was drugged and raped after drinking and being pressured to snort ketamine at a fraternity house in 2024. Under current New York law, a person who voluntarily consumes alcohol or drugs is not automatically considered unable to consent, a provision critics call the 'voluntary intoxication loophole'.

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Australia

South Australia Proposes Ban on Good Character References in Sentencing

The South Australian government has announced plans to ban the use of good character references for all convicted criminals during sentencing, following a nationwide campaign to abolish the practice. Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the proposed laws are a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence and would prevent the re-traumatisation of victim-survivors during court proceedings.

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Australia

Research suggests restorative justice could address university sexual assault, but access remains limited

New research from the Australian National University, the University of Canberra and the Australian National University indicates that university students may be open to alternative pathways for addressing sexual assault, such as restorative justice, but these options are often difficult to access. The study comes amid renewed scrutiny of how universities handle sexual misconduct, following the Cornell 7 case in the United States.

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