- Japan's Prime Minister resigns less than a year after taking office
- The father of a twelve year-old boy stabbed to death in Melbourne shares his despair
- The Dolphins finish the season on a high with a thrashing against Canberra in the NRL
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced he will resign.
His Liberal Democratic Party has governed Japan for most of the post-war era.
But since coming to power less than a year ago, his ruling coalition has lost majorities in elections for both houses of parliament amid voter anger over rising living costs.
He has refused calls to step down - until now.
But with with a deal signed last week to ease tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on Japanese cars and other exports, he says now is the right time.
“I have decided to step down as the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party ... With the hope that the next administration will fulfill the duty and its responsibility to the people, I would like to pass the baton to the next leader.”
Mr Ishiba will continue as Prime Minister until his successor is elected in an emergency leadership vote.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia "is testing the world" with a record-breaking massive drone attack on Kyiv.
Russia attacked with 810 drones and decoys, while Ukraine's Air Force says it shot down 747 drones and four missiles.
For the first time a main Government building in the centre of Kyiv was hit.
President Zelenskyy says the attacks must not be downplayed.
"It is important that today there is a broad reaction from partners to this strike. Obviously, Russia is trying to hurt Ukraine, and the strikes are more sudden. This is a clear sign that Putin is testing the world – whether they will accept it or put up with it. Therefore, it is important that the statements of leaders, states, and institutions are followed up by strong actions – sanctions against Russia, against individuals associated with Russia, and strong tariffs and other restrictions on trade with Russia."
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says about 100,000 people have left Gaza City as the Israeli military continues to press its offensive.
Health officials in Gaza say strikes across the city killed 14 people overnight, and included a strike on a school in southern Gaza City sheltering displaced Palestinians.
Prime Minster Netanyahu said the army was deepening its manoeuvres inside the city and accused Hamas of trying to prevent people from leaving so they could serve as human shields.
Aid groups warn that a large-scale evacuation would exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza City.
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Victoria Police have described the stabbing deaths of two boys aged 12 and 15, in Melbourne's outer-west, as having all the hallmarks of youth crime gangs.
However police say the boys were not members of a gang and may have been targeted by mistake.
Emergency services were called to Marble Drive in Cobblebank on Saturday night where they found a 12 year old boy with critical injuries.
He died at the scene.
The second victim was found a short distance away on Cobble Street, also suffering from knife wounds.
He too died of his injuries.
Dau Akueng's father says his son was returning home from a basketball match on the bus when he and two of his friends were attacked.
Mr Akeung was at his job as a security guard, when he got a call to say Dau hadn't returned home.
"I protect people where I work and no one protect my family at home, when you go to protect people outside where you work and then you come home and love one is not there. What do we say? When we ask for answer what is killing our kids, where's a my son, you don't get an answer, this case will go on for months for years."
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The Department of Defence says Australian ships and aircraft will continue to exercise freedom of navigation in line with international law.
It comes after China's military said it had followed a Canadian and an Australia warship through the Taiwan Strait, and labelled their passage through the Strait a provocation.
HMAS Brisbane is on a four-month-long Regional Presence Deployment to the Indo-Pacific region.
Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs, Julian Hill says Australia is within its rights to move through the area.
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And in the NRL,
The Dolphins have secured their best season yet with a 62-24 win over the Canberra Raiders at Redcliffe in Brisbane.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow starred before leaving the field in the second half with an M-C-L injury to the knee.
The final-round victory puts the Dolphins at ninth position on the ladder, their highest-placed finish in three seasons in the NRL.
Their 12 wins were the most they had achieved in a season and they finished the year with 721 points scored, the best of any team in the league.
The 62 points scored on Sunday was also their best ever.
