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World Leaders React to US-Israel Attack on Iran

Nations voice concern as some back strikes, others condemn escalation

(Newser) - World leaders are lining up to assess, condemn, or cautiously back US and Israeli strikes on Iran as fears of a wider Middle East conflict grow. What some are saying as updates continue to trickle out of the region, per CNN , Reuters , and the New York Times :
  • Antonio Costa, president
...

Supermarket Chain's Bot Talks About Its 'Angry' Mother

Australia's Woolworths retires 'Olive' after it started becoming too humanlike for customers' liking

(Newser) - Shoppers calling an Australian supermarket chain's 24-hour helpline have been getting a little more personality than they bargained for. Woolworths has dialed back its AI phone assistant, "Olive," after customers said the bot was spinning made-up stories about its life, insisting it was human, and even mimicking...

Jacinda Ardern Joins Move to Australia
Ardern Moves 'Across the Ditch'
Feb 26, 2026 4:23 PM CST

Ardern Moves 'Across the Ditch'

Like others, former prime minister of New Zealand is following the work

(Newser) - Jacinda Ardern is joining a well-worn path out of New Zealand: the one that leads to Australia. A spokesperson for the former prime minister confirmed that Ardern and her family are based in Australia "for the moment," saying they have work there. "The family has been traveling...

Albanese Causes Uproar With One Word

Sexual abuse survivor Grace Tame refuses apology after he calls her 'difficult'

(Newser) - Australia's prime minister is backtracking after a single word set off a political firestorm. Asked to sum up sexual abuse survivor and former Australian of the Year Grace Tame in one word during a rapid-fire quiz, Anthony Albanese chose "difficult." Tame, who was raped by her math...

2 Nabbed in Killing of Aussie Grandpa Kidnapped by Mistake

More arrests expected following discovery of 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian's body

(Newser) - An 85-year-old Australian man kidnapped from his bed in a case of mistaken identity has been confirmed dead. The body of grandfather Chris Baghsarian was found Tuesday near a rural golf course west of Sydney, police tell CNN . Soon after, police raided two properties and arrested two men in their...

From Australia, a New Slap at Ex-Prince Andrew

PM Albanese supports move to ensure Mountbatten-Windsor never takes the throne

(Newser) - You can count Australia in wanting to make sure that the Andrew formerly known as prince never sits on the British throne. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told UK leader Keir Starmer in a letter that his government would support any move to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal succession, calling...

Sports Announcer: Sorry for Drinking Before Going On Air
Sports Announcer:
Sorry for Drinking
Before Going On Air
2026 Olympics
Feb 19, 2026 9:16 AM CST

Sports Announcer: Sorry for Drinking Before Going On Air

Aussie presenter Danika Mason blames alcohol, altitude, cold for viral stumble

(Newser) - An on-air stumble from the Winter Olympics has turned into a national talking point in Australia, and now a public apology. Channel 9 sports reporter Danika Mason says she "misjudged the situation" by having a drink before a live broadcast from Italy, after a clip of her slurred report...

As Families Flee Syrian Camps, Australia Offers 'No Sympathy'

Anthony Albanese says 'We're providing absolutely no support' to citizens seeking to return home

(Newser) - Australia's leader has a blunt message for its ISIS-linked citizens stuck in Syrian camps: You're on your own. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday the country will not help repatriate dozens of women and children who recently tried—and failed—to leave the Al-Roj detention camp and reach...

Ironic AI Infraction Earns KPMG Partner a Big Fine

Australian employee caught using artificial intelligence to pass a test on artificial intelligence

(Newser) - A partner at the auditing giant KPMG just received a lesson in irony in the brave new world of AI: You shouldn't use artificial intelligence to complete a course on how to use artificial intelligence. The unnamed partner in Australia got caught using an AI tool to complete an...

Queen's Mug on Aussie Coin Doesn't Land Well

'Looks like she just ran into a wall,' one says of Elizabeth II's portrait on commemorative piece

(Newser) - Australians hoping for a regal tribute to Queen Elizabeth II are split over a new coin design that some say barely looks like her. The Royal Australian Mint has issued two collector coins—a $5 piece and a 50-cent silver coin—to mark what would have been the late queen'...

Australia's Social Media Ban for Kids Is Really Catching On

Spain, France also look to ban under-15s

(Newser) - Spain is the latest country to follow Australia's lead in moving to ban children from social media. In a Tuesday speech, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced social media platforms operating in Spain will have to install age-verification tools and block those aged 15 and under from having accounts....

Teen Swims 4 Hours for Help as Mother, Siblings Hold On

Rescue helicopter then spots family miles off Western Australia

(Newser) - A teenager turned a family paddle outing in Western Australia into a survival story after swimming for hours through choppy water to get help. Police say the 13-year-old was kayaking with his mother, 47, and his younger brother, 12, and sister, 8, off Geographe Bay on Friday when strong winds...

Elena Rybakina Has Her 2nd Grand Slam Title

Kazakhstan player beats Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Australian Open

(Newser) - Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina won the Australian Open title with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus on Saturday that avenged her loss in the championship decider here in 2023. Four years ago Rybakina won the first set but lost the final in three. This time,...

Aussie Cyclist Prevails After the 'Most Australian Crash'

Jay Vine maintains the kangaroo is 'the most dangerous thing in Australia'

(Newser) - Australian Jay Vine didn't just fend off rivals to win the Tour Down Under cycling race—he also had to deal with a kangaroo. The 29-year-old was one of several riders who crashed Sunday after two large kangaroos bounded into the road on a fast section of the final...

Tickets to Aussie Open Are Hot—Literally

Continent sees record temp of 120 degrees Fahrenheit during extended heat wave

(Newser) - Parts of Australia sweltered in record temperatures on Tuesday as the country sweated through a prolonged heat wave. The rural towns of Hopetoun and Walpeup in Victoria state registered preliminary highs of 48.9 degrees Celsius, or 120 degrees Fahrenheit, which if confirmed overnight would top records set on the...

Australia Sees 4th Shark Attack in 3 Days

Surfer is latest victim of murky water attacks off New South Wales' east coast

(Newser) - A surfer had minor injuries from being bitten by a shark Tuesday in the fourth attack off the coast of Australia's most populous state in three days , per the AP . The shark attacked the man's surfboard at Point Plomer, 290 miles north of the New South Wales state...

Sydney Rattled by Back-to-Back Shark Attacks

12-year-old boy and adult man said to be in critical condition after separate incidents

(Newser) - A day of cliff-jumping at a popular Sydney swimming spot ended in tragedy Sunday when a 12-year-old boy was mauled by a shark and left fighting for his life. The child was with friends at Shark Beach in the affluent suburb of Vaucluse, leaping from a rock ledge about 20...

Police Probe Death of Woman Found Surrounded by Dingoes

Inspector says it's unclear if the animals caused fatal injuries or simply came upon the body

(Newser) - A backpacker's pre-dawn swim off Australia's K'gari island has ended in tragedy and a police investigation into a possible dingo attack. Queensland police say the body of a 19-year-old Canadian woman was discovered on a beach on K'gari (formerly Fraser Island) early Monday, surrounded by at...

Australia Shooting Hero Explains Why He Acted

It was instinct, says Ahmed al Ahmed: 'I don't want to see people killed in front of me'

(Newser) - The Sydney shopkeeper who tackled a gunman during the Bondi Beach mass shooting says he acted on instinct, driven by a simple goal: stop more people from being killed. In an interview with CBS News , Ahmed al Ahmed, a Syrian-born father of two, described grabbing 50-year-old Sajid Akram from behind...

Arson in Australia Intensifies Concerns About Antisemitism

Vehicle bearing Hanukkah greetings was burned in Melbourne

(Newser) - A car decked out with a "Happy Chanukah!" sign was set on fire in Melbourne before dawn on Christmas Day, prompting an arson investigation and fresh concern over antisemitism in Australia. Emergency crews were called to St Kilda East, a center of Jewish life in Melbourne, just before...

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