Kazem 'Kaz' Hamad pictured in 2015.

Exiled Australian gangland boss reportedly arrested in Iraq

An exiled underworld boss connected to a state's ongoing tobacco wars has reportedly been arrested.

10:30am

In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran.

Death toll from Iran's protests surpasses 2000, activists say

US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!"

6:40am

The Adelaide Writers' Festival (file image).

Adelaide Writers' Festival cancelled after swell of outrage

Randa Abdel-Fattah was due to be at the Adelaide Writers' Week but was axed citing "cultural sensitivity".

Tuesday 1:10pm

2:28

A masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran.

Trump says Iran trade partners will face 25% tariffs from US

Trump announced the tariffs in a social media posting, saying they would be "effective immediately".

Tuesday 12:20pm

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown.

Trump says Iran wants to negotiate, as death toll rises to at least 599

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghch insisted "the situation has come under total control" in remarks that blamed Israel and the US for the violence, without offering evidence.

Tuesday 6:32am

This frame grab from a video released by Iran state TV shows vehicles burning amid night of mass protests in Tehran

'Gravely concerned': MFAT in contact with Kiwis in Iran after killings

Foreign Minister Winston Peters called on Iranian security forces to "refrain from violence".

Mon, Jan 12

A tent camp for displaced Palestinians stretches across an area in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip.

Hamas says it'll dissolve Gaza govt when new Palestinian body takes over

Hamas said overnight it will dissolve its existing government in Gaza once a Palestinian technocratic leadership committee takes over the territory.

Mon, Jan 12

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets.

Death toll in crackdown on protests in Iran spikes to at least 538

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by either US or Israel.

Mon, Jan 12

Civilians evacuate an area of the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Saturday, January 10, 2026.

Kurdish fighters evacuated from Aleppo after days of violent clashes

An Associated Press journalist at the scene saw buses leaving Sunday and was told by officials that the transports carried 360 fighters.

Sun, Jan 11

In this frame grab from video taken by an individual not employed by The Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran shows people blocking an intersection during a protest in Tehran

Iran protests: Death toll reaches 116, activists say

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult.

Sun, Jan 11

Operation Hawkeye Strike

US launches new large-scale strikes in Syria against ISIS targets

The large-scale strikes hit multiple Islamic State targets across Syria.

Sun, Jan 11

Syrian government forces take over the Achrafieh neighborhood from Kurdish fighters during ongoing clashes that erupted Tuesday in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.

Syria ceasefire unravels between security forces and Kurdish fighters

An estimated 142,000 people have been displaced by the fighting that broke out earlier this week, with exchanges of shelling and drone strikes.

Sat, Jan 10

Palestinians inspect the damage at a displacement camp following an Israeli strike in Gaza City, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.

Trump to unveil Gaza peace board as Israeli strikes kill 13 in Gaza

Officials say that Trump is expected to announce next week his appointments to his Board of Peace, which he has said he will head, marking an important step forward for his Middle East peace plan.

Sat, Jan 10

Iran supreme leader signals upcoming crackdown on protesters

Iran supreme leader signals upcoming crackdown on protesters

State media later referred to the demonstrators as “terrorists".

Sat, Jan 10

Protesters march on a bridge in Tehran, Iran, on Dec. 29, 2025

A timeline of how the protests in Iran unfolded and grew

Dozens of people have been killed and thousands arrested as the daily protests have grown and the government seeks to contain them.

Sat, Jan 10

Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, speaks during a news conference, June 23, 2025 in Paris.

Internet blackout in Iran as protesters heed exiled prince's call

Violence around the demonstrations has killed at least 42 people while more than 2270 others have been detained.

Fri, Jan 9

People walk as shops are closed during protests in Tehran's centuries-old main bazaar, Iran.

Security forces clash with protesters at Tehran's grand bazaar

The protest at the main market represented the latest signal that the demonstrations likely are to continue as the country's rial currency fell to a record low.

Wed, Jan 7

Protesters march in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, December 29, 2025.

Iran's economic protests: At least 35 killed and 1200 detained

The death toll surrounding protests in Iran has risen to at least 35 people, activists said, as the demonstrations showed no signs of stopping.

Tue, Jan 6

Protesters march in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, December 29, 2025.

What to know about the protests now shaking Iran

Widening protests in Iran sparked by the Islamic Republic's ailing economy are putting new pressure on its theocracy.

Mon, Jan 5

A makeshift tent camp for displaced Palestinians stretches across Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Friday, January 2, 2026.

Aid groups grapple with what Israel's ban will mean for work in Gaza

The ban further strains aid operations even as Gaza’s over 2 million Palestinians still face a humanitarian crisis more than 12 weeks into a ceasefire.

Mon, Jan 5

A man carries bundles of old currency bills to deposit at the Syrian Central Bank office after authorities announced Saturday that the exchange of old Syrian pounds for new banknotes has officially begun in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, January 3, 2026.

Syria begins circulating new post-Assad currency bills

The crisis-hit nation is seeking to stabilise the economy as it recovers from the fall of Bashar Assad’s government.

Sun, Jan 4

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks to a group of people and officials in Tehran, Iran.

Rioters 'must be put in their place', says Iran's supreme leader

Violence surrounding the demonstrations sparked by Iran's ailing economy has killed at least 10 people, with Trump warning the US "will come to the rescue" of protesters if they are attacked.

Sun, Jan 4

President Donald Trump and Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani.

Trump, top Iranian officials exchange threats over protests roiling Iran

Trump initially wrote on his Truth Social platform, warning Iran that if it "violently kills peaceful protesters", the United States "will come to their rescue".

Sat, Jan 3

Southern Yemen soldiers of Southern Transitional Council (STC) at a check point, in Aden, Yemen.

Saudi warplanes strike UAE-backed separatists in southern Yemen

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE rose after the STC moved last month into Yemen’s governorates of Hadhramaut and Mahra and seized an oil-rich region.

Sat, Jan 3

Protesters march in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, December 29, 2025.

At least 6 reported killed in Iran protests sparked by ailing economy

The protests have become the biggest in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations.

Fri, Jan 2