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Israeli voters are queuing-up to cast their ballots in a closely fought contest that will determine Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political future.
The Central Elections Committee says that just under 56 percent [[55.7]] of the 7.3 million eligible voters had already cast their ballots within the first nine hours of voting, a record by that point in the day with six more hours to go.
Media reports suggest 70,000 Israelis have also travelled home from abroad to vote as most citizens are not permitted to cast their ballots overseas.
Tel Aviv resident Ishai says the strong turnout could be a sign that there is appetite for things to be different.
"We're still optimistic. We can never know in the elections in Israel. That's always a surprise. But we went to vote today and there was such a long line, standing in line to vote. So we hope that everyone is feeling like us, that it's time for change."
Mediators from Qatar have declared Iran needs to show good intentions for peace as talks on a new agreement continue.
A spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry has told a press briefing that Iran should stop threats against Arab Gulf countries and open the Strait of Hormuz.
Its delegation had visited Tehran earlier this week in an effort to de-escalate regional tensions in co-ordination with the United States.
Top officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan also met Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday in an effort to de-escalate the conflict.
The Australian Federal Police have given a grim assessment of the threats facing parliamentarians during a late night appearance at Senate Estimates in Canberra.
Commissioner Krissy Barrett has told the hearing that the alleged attack on IndiMP Helen Haines is part of a global trend of violence emerging with little or no warning from individuals who are largely unknown to authorities.
She says lone actors are being motivated by a convergence of personal grievances, mental health vulnerabilities and ideological concerns.
Ms Barrett says much of this is being driven by technology that has enabled an instant pipeline of hate to be delivered to people's homes and workplaces because of the ubiquity of devices.
Dementia has become Australia's leading cause of death, accounting for more than one in 10 deaths nationwide.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows more than 19,000 Australians died from dementia in the past year, with women making up 61 per cent of those deaths.
Dementia Australia says almost 450,000 people are now living with the condition, a figure expected to exceed one million by 2065 without significant intervention.
Professor Henry Brodaty has told SBS News some of these cases might be preventable.
"We know that 45 percent of the risk of dementia are environmental factors that are modifiable: good education, keeping our brain active through life, keeping socially connected, keeping physically active, blood pressure control, wearing hearing aids if you have hearing loss."
Readers seeking support with mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. More information is available at beyondblue.org.au. Embrace Multicultural Mental Health supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
A masked arsonist remains on the run after a suspicious fire tore through a family home in Sydney's inner west on Tuesday morning, triggering a dramatic police rescue of an elderly woman.
Police say a man wearing a balaclava was seen spreading an accelerant before the blaze and fled the scene after being confronted by a neighbour.
An 88-year-old woman trapped on a balcony at the Abbotsford home was brought to safety using a ladder.
Three other occupants were treated for smoke inhalation and are in a stable condition.
The Trump administration has asked Washington state to set aside more than 1,500 ballots linked to over 400 suspected non-citizens ahead of the US mid-term elections.
Investigators say they've reviewed voter records and interviewed many of those identified, but have not confirmed who completed the ballots.
State election officials say they're reviewing the request and will only act through due process.
Acting US Attorney for Western Washington Neil Floyd says the Department was determined to root out illegal voting.
"We are asking for the states to set aside those ballots until we can confirm that they are legal voters. Now that the state is on notice, it is incumbent upon state officials to make sure they are counting only legal votes."
Sunscreens will now have to meet more rigorous tests to ensure they can back their sun protection claims.
The test results will be provided confidentially to the Therapeutic Goods Administration before the sunscreen goes on the market.
The TGA imposed the new requirements, following testing by consumer advocacy group Choice in 2025 that found 16 of 20 sunscreen products did not meet the SPF claims made on their labels.
CHOICE campaigns director, Andy Kelly, says Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, and the changes in sunscreen regulations are critical to ensuring consumer trust.
"The amount of damage that has been done to trust in the regulator and trust in the sunscreen industry, the TGA should really be looking to make as much information publicly available as possible."
To sport, Geelong forward Jeremy Cameron says he might have considered retiring if he had sat out the AFL season with his ongoing arm injury.
Cameron broke his right forearm in last year’s Grand Final and played through complications this season and had post-season surgery six weeks ago.
He says the arm will be reassessed at the 12-week mark, and that he is running every second day and is in high spirits.
Cameron will be reunited with former GWS teammate Toby Greene, who has joined Geelong as an unrestricted free agent.
Cameron’s wife, Indiana, is expecting their second child in the next few weeks.
