Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts .
Polls are set to open in Israel's first national election since the October 7 attacks, with the vote widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership.
Mr Netanyahu's government is predicted to be defeated, which could be the end of nearly 30 years of one of the most powerful figures in the Middle East.
However, opinion polls suggest Netanyahu's coalition and the opposition are running neck-and-neck, with no clear path to a majority in the 120-seat parliament.
The election comes after years of war and political upheaval, with voters weighing issues including the conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, as well as accountability for the security failures surrounding October 7.
Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as Netanyahu's main challenger, but coalition negotiations could take weeks before a new government is formed.
Flavio Bolsonaro's Liberal Party has formally recognised Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's election victory, despite the defeated candidate continuing to challenge the result.
Lula has secured a fourth presidential term after winning by more than 4.4 million votes, receiving congratulations from world leaders.
Political tensions remain high, with Bolsonaro alleging voting irregularities following an extension of polling hours and vowing to pursue legal action.
Brazilians have reacted with a mix of optimism and uncertainty, as financial markets tumble following the result.
In São Paulo, retired resident Ricardo Pieroni says he was surprised but pleased by Lula's victory.
"First, I was very surprised. I wasn't expecting this result. Based on the polls we had been following, I thought the outcome would be different. But since I was rooting for and voted for the winner, I was very happy and even got quite emotional, to be honest. I actually shed a few tears."
Analysts say Lula now faces the challenge of governing with a Congress heavily influenced by Bolsonaro's allies.
To domestic news now and Greens leader David Shoebridge says warnings about the cybersecurity risks facing Australian businesses should prompt greater investment in Australian-owned AI tech.
The Australian Signals Directorate says it responded to 1,500 cybersecurity incidents in the last financial year, a 20 per cent increase compared to the year before.
The agency says AI is being used to scale up attacks - and it is urging businesses to replace and update outdated technology.
Senator Shoebridge says he believes increasing the capacity for Australia to own and control AI tech will reduce cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
"What it does show is that we need investment in an Australian ethical AI, which we can have some kind of comfort in. And not just simply relying upon the same US tech bros who are producing the threats to our very system. Obviously, we need investment in an Australian AI industry - in partnership with other likeminded countries around the world to have an ethical AI that we have some control over."
More than 40 people have been killed in an attack on Orthodox Christian churches and homes in Ethiopia's Oromia state.
Residents and conflict monitors say an unidentified armed group targeted villages in the Shirka district, south of the capital Addis Ababa, leaving at least 40 people dead and at least 18 injured.
The attack is believed to have targeted Orthodox Christians and comes amid longstanding ethnic and religious tensions in Ethiopia's largest state.
Local community leaders are urging the government to restore security, while some residents have sought refuge in nearby churches.
Beshir Dadhi Tufa is among the displaced.
"It is Kenyan citizens who are helping us. It is not the government. They are supporting us with their own resources. It's been almost four days. I was sleeping on the floor outside people's houses before somebody brought me here. I don't think they can sustain us longer. I think UNHCR should step in and help us because we need food, we need water, we need basic support."
Meghan Markle will return to Australian television as co-host of a revived Junior MasterChef, six years after the children's cooking competition last aired.
The Duchess of Sussex says joining the show was an "easy yes", after attracting strong ratings as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia earlier this year.
Markle will host alongside chef and presenter Poh Ling Yeow [[POH LING YOW]], with filming expected to begin in 2027.
To sport and in tennis news, Australia's Alex de Minaur has advanced to the last 16 in the ATP 500 Vienna Open.
He's made the quarter finals with a come-from-behind win over Czech qualifier Tomas Machac, 1-6 6-4 6-3.
De Minaur began Vienna's ATP 500 event tenth in the standings for the season's Turin finale and, with Jannik Sinner's competitive season over, needs to be in the top nine to qualify.
But Sinner is already set to make his comeback in the lucrative Six Kings Slam in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, an event postponed to late December after an attack by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis on Riyadh's international airport killed 13 people.
