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U-S President Donald Trump claims Iran wants to make a deal to avoid conflict.
Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, says his country is ready to begin negotiations, but its defence and missile capabilities will never be up for negotiation.
Iran's nuclear program, which some believe is aimed at making a nuclear weapon, is at the forefront of tensions.
But Mr Trump, who has sent a U-S naval carrier group to waters off Iran, says Iran's decision to halt executions of protesters shows they know he means business.
"They were going to hang 837 people. And I told them, if you do it, you're going to pay a price like nobody's ever paid before. They pulled back. I appreciated that. But a lot of people are being killed. So we'll see what happens. I can say this, they do want to make a deal."
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U-S President Donald Trump claims a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war is close.
The news agency Reuters is reporting Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, will travel to Miami this weekend to meet with members of Mr Trump's administration.
But, for now, the war continues, with Ukrainian Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, claiming Russia has launched seven attacks on Ukraine's rail infrastructure in the last 24 hours.
The International Atomic Agency says the war is particularly dangerous because it threatens nuclear safety.
The agency's chief executive is Rafael Mariano Grossi.
He says, given the number of nuclear power plants in Ukraine, the conflict is the biggest single threat to nuclear safety in the world at the moment.
"The off-site power supply to the nuclear power plants in Ukraine depends on crucial substations. Damage to them undermines nuclear safety and must be avoided. This stems from the internationally agreed nuclear safety standards."
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Bushfire-ravaged communities have been granted a funding lifeline as clean-up efforts increase and authorities warn residents the danger is far from over.
Four major fires remain active across Victoria, including a large blaze at Carlisle River in the Otways that is unlikely to be contained until substantial rainfall arrives.
At least 1500 structures have been destroyed by bushfires over summer, with the most significant loss at Longwood, where 320 homes were destroyed.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan have announced an additional $160 million in funding to assist vulnerable communities in fire recovery.
Mr Albanese further explains.
"This includes funds for cleanup programs, for emergency recovery support programs, to support businesses, to support local government across a range of areas. We are working hand in hand with the Victorian Government. Together, we've got your back. We want to make sure that people know that the government will be there at difficult times."
The funding adds to previous support, bringing the total Victorian fire relief package to $329 million, shared between the federal and state governments.
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Liberal M-P Andrew Hastie says he will not contest for the leadership of the party, ending speculation about his political future.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has come under pressure as leader of the party following the Nationals quitting the Coalition, with Mr Hastie and frontbencher Angus Taylor emerging as possible contenders.
But Mr Hastie has now ruled himself out of running for the party's leadership.
In a statement, he says: "having consulted with colleagues over the past week and respecting their honest feedback to me, it is clear that I do not have the support needed to become leader of the Liberal Party."
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Tasmania Police say they have found more human remains, as well as items of clothing believed to belong to missing Belgian backpacker Celine Cremer.
The items were found in a further search carried out yesterday [[FRI 30 Jan]] on a section of the Arthur River in north-west Tasmania.
The search area is about 2.5 kilometres from Philosopher Falls, where Ms Cremer was visiting before she disappeared in 2023.
Commander Nathan Johnston says a polar fleece jacket, believed to belong to Ms Cremer, was among the items discovered.
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The US Justice Department is releasing more than 3 million pages of files related to the investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein today.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche says that the department was also releasing more than 2000 videos and 180,000 images.
He said the White House had 'no oversight' of the review of documents and firmly stated that they 'did not protect President Trump'.
The files, posted to the department's website, include some of the several million pages of records that officials said were withheld from an initial release of documents in December.
The Justice Department said it tasked hundreds of lawyers with reviewing the records to determine what needs to be redacted, or blacked out, to protect the identities of victims of sexual abuse.
Among the materials being withheld is information that could jeopardise any ongoing investigation or expose the identities of personal details about potential victims.
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Myanmar's military-backed party has completed a sweeping victory in the country's three-phase general election, cementing an outcome long expected after a tightly-controlled political process held amid civil war and widespread repression.
According to results released last night, the Union and Solidarity Party dominated all phases of the vote, winning an overwhelming majority in Myanmar's two legislative chambers.
Myanmar's parliament is expected to convene in March to elect a president, with a new government set to take over in April.
The 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations says it will not endorse the process, and human rights groups and some Western countries have also denounced the election as a sham.
But Thailand's Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said Asian countries should still engage in dialgoue with Myanmar.
"It should be, you know, a starting point for continued efforts on dialogue, on reconciliation as a part of a broader peace process. We don’t seek to isolate Myanmar. We seek to bring Myanmar back to the ASEAN family."
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Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty after a US judge dismissed murder and weapons charges against the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
US District Judge Margaret Garnett said she felt constrained by Supreme Court precedents to dismiss the murder charge, saying it was legally incompatible with the two stalking charges Mangione still faces.
The 27-year-old still confronts possible life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on the stalking charges.
Mangione's attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo says they are relieved by the outcome.
"Just wanted to thank the court for this incredible decision. I want to thank this amazing legal team that we have here, it's really wonderful, all of them. And thank all the people who come out and stand here in the cold and the people who can't come here. All the supporters. We get your letters, we get your emails, and we really appreciate all the support. So thank you all. Stay warm."
REPORTER: "Karen, what was Mr. Mangioni's reaction when he learned the death penalty was off the table?"
KAREN FRIEDMAN: "We're all very relieved."
Federal prosecutor Dominic Gentile told the Judge at a routine court hearing that the government has not decided whether it will appeal.
Mangione pleaded not guilty to all charges stemming from Thompson's death, and has been jailed since his arrest in Pennsylvania five days after the killing.
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In tennis, Novak Djokovic will play Carlos Alcaraz in the men's singles final of the Australian Open tomorrow night.
Both men have won marathon semi-finals at Melbourne Park.
Djokovic has come from two sets to one down to defeat Italian, Jannik Sinner... 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.... the match lasting more than four hours, and not finishing until 1:32am local time.
Earlier, Alcaraz, the world's top-ranked player, needed five hours and 27 minutes to overcome German, Alexander Zverev... 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5.
If Djokovic wins the final, he'll become the only person to win 25 Grand Slam tournament titles... going past Australian, Margaret Court.
In the women's singles final tonight, the world's top-ranked player, Aryna Sabalenka will play fifth seed Elena Rybakina.
