The United States, joined by Arab mediators, sought to conclude an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt the 14-month-old war in the Gaza Strip where medics said Israeli strikes killed at least 20 Palestinians overnight.

Australia’s government on Wednesday trimmed its likely budget deficit for the current fiscal year, but flagged bigger shortfalls ahead due to “unavoidable spending” on health, cost-of-living relief and veterans care.

A high and drunk driver who sped through three red lights and killed a 16-year-old girl has been labelled “a grave danger to anyone” as he was jailed.

Two people have been rescued from floodwaters after a rain-hit state was again struck by storms ahead of the festive season.

Vanuatu has reportedly been hit by a 6.1 magnitude earthquake, a day after a 7.3 quake claimed about 14 lives.

New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday’s devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.

Police in Wisconsin were interviewing friends and family and examining the online presence of a 15-year-old girl to determine what drove her to open fire in a classroom at her private Christian school, killing a fellow student and a teacher before taking her own life.

Fiji Airways is closely monitoring the situation in Vanuatu following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in it’s capital Port Vila.

A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Vanuatu, leaving the capital city and surrounding areas reeling from significant damage, casualties, and disrupted services.

Australian and New Zealand experts say while not all major earthquakes will trigger tsunamis, the one in Vanuatu today is expected to have caused significant structural damage due to its depth.

A 15-year-old girl opened fire in a Wisconsin school classroom on Tuesday, fatally shooting a fellow student and a teacher and wounding six other people before killing herself with the handgun, police said.

China announced on Tuesday a relaxation of its visa-free transit policy, extending the permitted stay for eligible foreign travellers to 240 hours, or 10 days, from the original 72-144 hours, as authorities aim to lure more foreign visitors.