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World headlines with summaries.
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Russia releases video footage to challenge Kyiv over alleged attack
1 Jan 2026Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi says the footage is "laughable" and that Kyiv is "absolutely confident that no such attack took place".
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Trump-hosted Kennedy Center awards gala ratings plummet
1 Jan 2026Donald Trump joked about quitting as US president if his hosting of the annual Kennedy Center awards went well.
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Taiwan stays on high alert as Chinese ships pull back after massive drills
1 Jan 2026The exercises saw China fire dozens of rockets towards Taiwan and deploy a large number of warships and aircraft near the island, in a show of force that drew concern from allies.
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Japanese women MPs want more seats, the porcelain kind
1 Jan 2026Nearly 60 women lawmakers in Japan have submitted a petition calling for more toilets in the parliament building to match their improved representation.
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Queen Camilla describes being assaulted by man as a teenager
1 Jan 2026The assault was first reported in September, but had not previously been confirmed by Buckingham Palace.
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France aims to ban under-15s from social media - reports
1 Jan 2026President Emmanuel Macron did not reference the legislative push in a New Year's Eve address but pledged to "protect our children and teenagers from social media and screens".
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World begins to welcome 2026 after a year of Trump, truces and turmoil
1 Jan 2026In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the joy usually felt at the start of a new year was "tempered by the sadness of the old".
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Israel to suspend operations of several aid groups in Gaza
1 Jan 2026Other countries are warning of a renewed 'catastrophic' humanitarian crisis.
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2025's most powerful world news photos
31 Dec 2025AFP's Pictures of the Year 2025 shows some of the world's top events and stories over the past year.
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Those we lost: Remembering the most notable world deaths of 2025
31 Dec 2025A look back at some of the most notable world figures who died this year, from Jane Goodall to Hulk Hogan.
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A renewed search for flight MH370 aims to find answers for families
31 Dec 2025Is the new search likely to find new evidence more than a decade after the flight went missing?
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'The Wire' actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. dies aged 71
31 Dec 2025The American actor had a storied career spanning more than three decades in both TV and film.
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Denmark becomes first country in world to end letter delivery
31 Dec 2025In Denmark, posting a letter in one of its iconic red mailboxes is no longer an option as the country fully embraces the digital age.
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US President John F Kennedy's granddaughter dead at 35
31 Dec 2025Tatiana Schlossberg, an environmental journalist who was a granddaughter of US President John F. Kennedy, has died, her family announced.
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UAE to pull forces out of Yemen as 24-hour deadline set
31 Dec 2025The United Arab Emirates' defence ministry said it was withdrawing "counter-terrorism teams...of its own volition".
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Burst tyre and speed contributed to Anthony Joshua crash, say investigators
31 Dec 2025The British boxer was in a "stable condition" in hospital after the Monday car accident that killed two close associates.
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'Princess Bride' star's emotional tribute to Rob Reiner
31 Dec 2025The star of one of Rob Reiner's most celebrated films says he "can finally put my grief into words", more than two weeks after Reiner and his wife were found dead.
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George Clooney becomes French citizen
31 Dec 2025The American actor and director has long been vocal about his privacy concerns surrounding his family.
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NZ tourist thought grounded cruise ship was 'going to sink'
31 Dec 2025An angry passenger has confronted cruise ship staff after her dream Christmas voyage came to a crashing halt off the Papua New Guinea coast on the weekend.
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Stranded PNG cruise ship passengers to be flown home
30 Dec 2025Some Kiwis are among passengers on an Australian cruise ship that ran aground off Papua New Guinea will fly out of the country after efforts to refloat the vessel failed.
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China encircles Taiwan in massive military display
31 Dec 2025China has carried out 10 hours of live-firing drills around Taiwan as its military rehearses a blockade of the island's north and south.
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Germany bank heist nets about 30m euros in cash, valuables
31 Dec 2025A police spokesman said that the break-in was "indeed very professionally executed", likening it to the heist movie 'Ocean's Eleven'.
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Inside Big Ben, a London icon that's been ringing since 1859
30 Dec 2025It's among the world's most photographed landmarks, but London's Big Ben also has an important job to do as it rings in the new year.
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China fires live rounds in military drills near Taiwan
30 Dec 2025China has fired live rounds in the waters to the north of Taiwan, with 130 Chinese military aircraft detected near the island in a 24-hour period.
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