The massive blast that hit Lebanon’s capital on Tuesday has delivered yet another devastating blow to a country already rocked by crises. Well before the explosion, and even the coronavirus pandemic which upended the world, Lebanon was in the midst of the worst economic crisis in its history. Half its population of 6 million lives near or below the poverty …

Victoria has close to 3,000 active cases of coronavirus, Premier Daniel Andrews says, as a woman in her 80s becomes the latest fatality recorded. Mr Andrews said there were 275 new cases recorded in the state. Mr Andrews said he was “cautious” about Monday’s figures, a drop from 363 on Sunday. The latest fatality brings the state’s death toll to …

In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News, US President Donald Trump has said he may not accept the results of the November election, called top US disease expert Anthony Fauci an “alarmist” and pushed back against the renaming of military bases and the removal of the Confederate flag. You can watch the full interview with Fox’s Chris Wallace right here, …

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the state is at a “critical point” after health authorities recorded another 20 coronavirus cases overnight, including 11 linked to known Sydney clusters. Over 20,000 COVID-19 tests were conducted at the weekend and in the 24 hours leading up to 8:00pm on Sunday night, 20 people were diagnosed with the disease. All the newly-identified cases …

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter has demanded an investigation after fresh sexual harassment allegations were made against former High Court judge Dyson Heydon. The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday reported claims Mr Heydon inappropriately touched a colleague when he was the royal commissioner investigating trade unions. The newspaper did not name the woman but said she worked at the commission as an administrative …

Online retail giant Amazon is building one of the largest warehouses in Australia in its latest efforts to expand its operations in the country. Construction on the 200,000 square metre robotics fulfilment centre has already begun at Kemps Creek in Sydney’s west, close to the under-construction Western Sydney airport. The advanced storage and distribution facility is expected to create 1,500 …

The future of the Australian Associated Press (AAP) newswire has been assured with the inking of a sale to new owners who say they are driven by a desire to retain Australian media diversity. A consortium of philanthropists and investors on Monday finalised a deal with current shareholders, including Nine and News Corp, to purchase AAP, which has been operating …

NSW Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane says he is not a suspect in the espionage investigation that saw his Sydney home and office raided last week. Mr Moselmane on Friday had his Labor Party membership suspended after the raids, which were part of a joint AFP-ASIO investigation amid allegations his office had been infiltrated by a Chinese government agent. “The investigation …

A divided federal appeals court has ordered the dismissal of the criminal case against President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn, turning back efforts by a judge to scrutinise the Justice Department’s extraordinary decision to drop the prosecution. The US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said in a 2-1 ruling on Wednesday that the …

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy announced Australia’s new testing regime following a national cabinet meeting on Friday. All travellers returning to Australia will be tested for coronavirus as they enter quarantine and before they’re allowed to leave, as the government beefs up measures to prevent further outbreaks. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy announced Australia’s new testing regime following a national …