World News

By Riley Stuart, for ABC in London British singer-songwriter Liam Payne poses on the red carpet on arrival for the BRIT Awards 2019 in London on February 20, 2019. Photo: AFP / TOLGA AKMEN Liam Payne's family say they're "heartbroken", and paid tribute to the former One Direction member's "kind, funny and brave soul" after he was found dead in Buenos Aires on Thursday. Payne, 31, had been staying at a hotel in Argentina's capital, and fell from a third-floor balcony. His death sparked an outpouring of grief from fans of the boy band, that rocketed to fame after forming as part of a British reality television show in 2010 before splitting up six years later. In a statement released Friday, his family said: "We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we'll remember hi...

By Jeremy Diamond, Dana Karni, Pauline Lockwood and Sophie Tanno for CNN Yahya Sinwar at a gathering in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Yunis in 2017. Photo: SAID KHATIB / AFP The Israeli military has confirmed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar - the chief architect of the militant group's deadly 7 October 2023 terror attack that set off the war in Gaza - has been killed in battle. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that Sinwar was killed on Wednesday after a "year-long pursuit". "In recent weeks, IDF and ISA forces, under the command of the Southern Command, have been operating in the southern Gaza Strip, following IDF and ISA intelligence that indicated the suspected locations of senior members of Hamas," the Israeli military statement read. "IDF soldiers of the ...

By James Mackenzie for Reuters If confirmed, Sinwar's death would represent a major boost to the Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a string of assassinations of leaders of its enemies. Photo: AFP / MAHMUD HAMS Israeli ministers have been informed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has very likely been killed by Israeli troops who were conducting an operation in southern Gaza, two officials with knowledge of the situation say. Israeli broadcasters quoted unnamed officials as saying Sinwar, the architect of the devastating attack on Israel last October that set off the Gaza war, was dead. There was no immediate confirmation from the military, which earlier said it was checking the possibility that Sinwar, Israel's most wanted enemy, was among three militants kill...

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses members of the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv. Photo: Handout / UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE / AFP Ukraine is calling on its allies to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang after it said North Korea had become a de facto participant in the war in Ukraine on Russia's side. President Volodymyr Zelensky told parliament in a speech to outline his victory plan that his spy services had confirmed North Korea's supply of both weapons and people to Russia, echoing similar comments in recent days. "These are workers for Russian factories to replace Russians killed in the war. And personnel for the Russian army. In fact, this is the participation of a second state in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia," Zelensky said. The Kremlin has d...

Feet so swollen and blistered that his shoes no longer fit, but he kept running. Surviving on about two hours sleep and using elastic bands to lift his feet when they failed him, but he kept running. Bleeding from working up such a sweat and being put in a wheelchair to get around. But he kept running or, by that point, limping to the finish line. That's what Australian ultramarathon runner Nedd Brockmann endured to reach his goal of doing a 1600-kilometre run over 10 days in Sydney. He ultimately didn't beat Greek ultra runner Yiannis Kourous' 1988 world record, instead spending 12-and-a-half-days getting the gruelling challenge done, but nevertheless, he raised more than A$2.5 million (NZ$2.75m) for a non-profit homelessness service, We Are Mobilise. "Get comfortable being uncomfortable"...

By Nandita Bose and Stephanie Kelly for Reuters US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks with Fox News' Bret Baier. Photo: Screenshot / Fox News Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris was grilled in a TV interview on on the Biden administration's efforts to tackle a surge in illegal immigration at the southern border, and laid the blame on Republicans for failing to pass a border bill. In a combative interview with Fox News host Bret Baier on Wednesday evening local time, Harris was also pressed to defend President Joe Biden's mental fitness, her years as vice president and previous support of gender-affirming surgery for transgender inmates. Harris and Baier frequently talked over each other and Harris grew visibly frustrated. She was asked to defend the administration's early decisi...

Liam Payne, a former member of One Direction, has died at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires. Who was Liam Payne? Payne rose to prominence as a member of English-Irish boyband One Direction, alongside Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. He first caught the attention of fans in 2008, at the age of 14, when he auditioned for the The X-Factor with a cover of Frank Sinatra's 'Fly Me To The Moon', before being placed in the group that would ultimately change his life. By 2010, One Direction had become an overnight success and went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. They released albums Up All Night in 2011, Take Me Home in 2012, Midnight Memories in 2013, Four in 2014, as a five-piece, and Made in the AM ...

By James Oliphant for Reuters Republican JD Vance is Donald Trump's running mate. Photo: AFP / Alex Wong After dodging the issue for weeks, Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance said unequivocally on Wednesday local time he believes false claims that Donald Trump did not lose the 2020 election. Taking questions from reporters at a campaign event in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Vance was again asked if Trump lost to President Joe Biden four years ago. "On the election of 2020, I've answered this question directly a million times. No! I think there are serious problems in 2020," Vance said. "So, did Donald Trump lose the election in 2020? Not by the words that I would use." Trump, the Republican candidate for president in 2024, continues to falsely claim that he lost the 2020 ...

By Pizaro Gozali Idrus, BenarNews Police officers check the area around the Jubi editorial office in Jayapura, Papua, after it was targeted in a Molotov cocktail attack on 16 October 2024. Photo: Benar News / Victor Mambor An attack on the editorial office of Papua-based media outlet Jubi on Wednesday using Molotov cocktails set fire to vehicles but resulted in no casualties, Indonesian police said. The latest targeting of journalists in the Indonesian province has been condemned by human rights groups as a renewed assault on media freedom, after previous attacks remained unsolved by police. Jubi is owned by Victor Mambor, who is a Jayapura-based stringer for BenarNews. Heram Sectoral Police Chief Inspector Bernadus Ick confirmed an investigation is underway. Area residents help p...

By Jesse Hyland for the ABC Hundreds of black balls mysteriously appeared along the shore of Sydney beaches. Photo: Supplied / Randwick City Council Facebook One of Sydney's most popular beaches came under the spotlight this week when hundreds of black balls mysteriously appeared along its shore. The sphere-shaped debris washed up at Coogee Beach on Tuesday, resulting in the beach's closure and an investigation by Randwick City Council and the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA). The black balls then surfaced at Clovelly Beach, Gordons Bay and the northern end of Maroubra Beach. The EPA confirmed on Thursday that balls had also been found at Bondi, Bronte, Tamarama, Little Bay, Malabar, Frenchmans and Congong beaches. All beaches will remain closed until further investigation ...