World News

By Sonia Nair, ABC Entertainment The chemistry between Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo — on and off screen — is a beautiful thing to watch. Photo: Supplied / Universal Review - You needn't be a fan of Wicked to be clued into the discourse surrounding the long-awaited movie that's been several years in the making - waylaid first by Covid, then by the SAG strike. You may have heard through the rumour mill about the relationship that has since blossomed between Ariana Grande (who plays Glinda) and Ethan Slater (who plays Boq) while they were allegedly still married to their respective partners. Your feed might be inundated with press tour footage of Grande and her co-star Cynthia Erivo (who plays Elphaba aka The Wicked Witch of the West) crying on one another in every interview. Whateve...

By Richard Collett, CNN Janet Newenham visited Iraq for the first time in 2021 — and returned three months later with an all-female group. Photo: Courtesy Janet Newenham via CNN Newsource As Tommy Driskill, a YouTuber from Hawaii who's better known by his moniker, 'Dude Abroad', sat down for a traditional Iraqi breakfast of kahi and geymar (pastries and clotted cream) outside a hole-in-the-wall cafe in downtown Baghdad, he couldn't help but think it was a surreal experience. "It was peaceful, calm, and rather quiet," Driskill told CNN Travel after visiting Iraq in 2024. "The street table view, though, is that of a bullet-ridden building across the road. [It was] a scar left from a darker time - in an area [that,] I was reminded, was once not suitable to stand even for five minutes on...

Australian teenager Bianca Jones died in hospital in Thailand. Photo: Facebook A New Zealander who is unwell may be a victim of methanol poisoning in Laos, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says. MFAT confirmed it has been contacted and was providing consular assistance. No further details would be provided for privacy reasons. MFAT is advising travellers to be cautious about drinking alcoholic beverages, especially cocktails and drinks made with spirits that may have been tainted with harmful substances. "Know the signs of methanol poisoning and seek immediate medical attention if poisoning is suspected." Lawyer Simone White has become the fifth person to die after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos, British media are reporting. Melbourne teenager Bianca Jones died in hospital in...

By Gareth McKnight, Rosanne Maloney, Mya Kordic and Tabarak Al Jrood Andre Rerekura re-entering the plane after taking a non-venomous Stimson's python off the aircraft. Photo: ABC / Screenshot A snake was found on a plane before it took off from the West Australian town of Broome on Thursday morning. In bizarre scenes, Disney TV personality Andre Rerekura was the passenger who took the non-venomous snake off the aircraft before it embarked for Perth. The airline said the flight took off as planned following a 20 minute delay. In scenes reminiscent of a Hollywood blockbuster, a television personality has helped wrangle a stowaway snake on a plane in Western Australia's north. Virgin flight VA1482, scheduled to take off from Broome at 10.30am and destined for Perth, was delayed by...

By Seena Katayama, ABC Photo: 123RF These oddly shaped shoes are turning heads from Hollywood to Melbourne's Swanston Street. First released in the late 1980s, high-end French fashion brand Maison Margiela's cloven-hoof-like tabi shoes were inspired by the Japanese footwear of the same name. Designer Martin Margiela said he first saw them being worn by construction workers during a visit to Japan. The brand's range these days include loafers, boots and ballet flats - the most popular retailing for A$1430 (NZ$1590) a pair. They even have a rhinestone cowboy-boot style with a price tag of A$12,790. In the West, Margiela's polarising designs have long been a symbol of wealth and style. But recently a new generation of celebrities have discovered the tabis, bringing them into the public...

By Stephanie van den Berg, Reuters ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others. Photo: AFP / GIL COHEN-MAGEN Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief and a Hamas leader for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The move comes after the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced on 20 May that he was seeking arrest warrants for alleged crimes connected to the 7 October attacks on Israel by Hamas and the Israeli military response in Gaza. Here is a look at what could happen next, and how the ICC prosecutor's move might affect diplomatic relations and other court cases focused on Gaza. Will Netanyahu and the Hamas leader be arrested? All 12...

The world's tallest woman and the world's shortest woman have met for afternoon tea in London to celebrate Guinness World Records Day. Rumeysa Gelgi, who stands 215.16 centimetres (7 feet 0.7 inches) tall, and Jyoti Amge, who measures just 62.8 centimetres (2 feet 0.7 inches), met at the Savoy Hotel, according to a statement from Guinness World Records (GWR) on Wednesday. The height difference between the two women might be a massive 152.36 centimetres (5 feet), but the pair reportedly got on famously. "We do have things in common. We both love make-up, self-care, jewellery and doing our nails," said Gelgi in the statement. "It was difficult for us to make eye contact at times due to our height difference, but it was great," she added. Amge added that she was "so happy" to meet her fellow ...

Australian teenager Bianca Jones died in hospital in Thailand. Photo: Facebook A New Zealander who is unwell may be a victim of methanol poisoning in Laos, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says. MFAT confirmed it has been contacted and was providing consular assistance. No further details would be provided for privacy reasons. Lawyer Simone White has become the fifth person to die after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos, British media are reporting. Melbourne teenager Bianca Jones died in hospital in Thailand after consuming drinks suspected to have been tainted by methanol at a bar in Vang Vieng in Laos. Read more: A second Australian teen, Holly Bowles, remained in another Thai hospital. An American and two Danish tourists also died in the suspected mass poisoning, which left...

By Eric Bradner, CNN Matt Gaetz. Photo: DREW ANGERER / AFP Former Florida representative Matt Gaetz posted on X that he is withdrawing his nomination for attorney general. Gaetz's withdrawal comes after meetings with Republican senators this week, as Trump's transition team sought to gauge whether he would win enough GOP support to be confirmed. "I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback - and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition," Gaetz wrote. "There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney Ge...

By Abbas Al Lawati and Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: AFP / LEO CORREA The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes. In a statement, the Netherlands-based court said it found "reasonable grounds" to believe that Netanyahu bears criminal responsibility for war crimes including "starvation as a method of warfare" and "the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts". It rejected Israel's challenge of the court's jurisdiction over the matter. Israel is not a member of the ICC. The Palestinian Authority is however party to the Rome Statute that established the court and has joined as the State of P...