Anthony Zurcher North America correspondent on Capitol Hill
Donald Trump delivered a combative State of the Union address on Tuesday night that hailed what he said was an American "turnaround for the ages".
At a time when polls suggest many in the US are dissatisfied with the current state of the nation – and with Trump's leadership of it – the president offered little hint of a change of course.
Instead, with an eye on crucial midterm elections later
AFP via Getty Images Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has introduced legislation that could double the maximum penalty for same-sex relations, making them punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The proposal was sent to parliament on Tuesday after cabinet approval last week, after a wave of arrests over alleged same-sex relationships, already banned under Senegal law.
Addressing lawmakers, Sonko said the bill would punish what it describes as "acts against nature"
Getty Images A bomb scare at the Australian prime minister's home originated from written threats directed at a Chinese dance and music group banned by Beijing.
In emails seen by local media and the BBC, performers of the Shen Yun group were told to cancel their upcoming Australian shows or risk explosives being detonated at Anthony Albanese's official residence in the nation's capital.
Authorities refused to comment on the emails, only confirming they had attended an "alleged security
NSW Police Australian police have arrested two men for the murder of a Sydney grandfather they say was mistakenly kidnapped, a day after human remains were found.
Widower Chris Baghsarian, 85, was abducted from his North Ryde home in a pre-dawn raid on 13 February.
Police say he was not the intended target of the alleged attack, which local media have reported may have been aimed at a family with links to organised crime.
On Wednesday,
Kelly Ng and
Shaimaa Khalil , Tokyo correspondent
Getty Images Japan plans to deploy surface-to-air missiles to its remote western island near Taiwan by March 2031, its defence minister said, as regional tensions simmer.
It is the first time that Japan specified a timeline for the missile deployment to Yonaguni island since it was announced in 2022.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own and has not ruled
Jessica Parker Berlin correspondent
EPA Germany's chancellor has touched down in China as German businesses sound the alarm about a yawning trade imbalance.
Imports into Germany from China were more than double the value of those exported back last year – according to federal statistics.
"We want a partnership with China that is balanced, reliable, regulated and fair," said Friedrich Merz, before leaving for Beijing.
Merz
Osmond Chia Business reporter
Screenshot from Guangdong News The founder of Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein made a rare public appearance on Tuesday, as he re-affirmed his ties to Beijing and investments in the country's clothing industry.
Speaking at a business conference in Guangdong, home to many of China's garment factories, Xu Yangtian highlighted that Shein is investing 10bn yuan (£1.08bn; $1.45bn) in the
Getty Images A top Democrat has accused the FBI director of causing a delayed response to high-profile cases in the US due to his personal use of the agency's private jet.
Sen Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, called for a probe into FBI Director Kash Patel over what he called "irresponsible joyriding" in the bureau's private aircraft.
He cited a whistleblower who alleged it slowed the FBI's response to Utah after conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was killed and Patel's
Barbara Plett Usher Africa correspondent
Reuters Intensified drone attacks on the new front line of Sudan's civil war have led to mass civilian casualties in recent weeks and are increasingly shaping the course of the conflict.
The epicentre of fighting has shifted to the south-central Kordofan region since both sides consolidated their gains in the other main battlefields of this nearly three-year war.
The conflict between the Sudanese regular army and the