For the first time since 1943, the Nobel Prize in Literature will not be awarded this year as the Swedish Academy deals with sex abuse allegations and other issues within its ranks.

Australian filmmaker James Ricketson is transferred to a prison hospital in Cambodia with various health complaints as he awaits trial on espionage charges.

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano shoots lava fountains 46 metres into the air close to a housing estate on Big Island, forcing the evacuation of up to 1,500 people.

The original Star Wars trilogy remains a favourite with fans and reviewers alike, but the latest film has caused a disruption in the force.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop warns Beijing against militarising the South China Sea following reports that China has installed missile systems in the hotly disputed Spratly Islands for the first time.

French President Emmanuel Macron's next stop on his Pacific sojourn is the French territory of New Caledonia, where the countdown to a vote on independence is fast approaching.

Expectations grow that North Korea will soon release three Americans held as prisoners, as a gesture of goodwill ahead of an unprecedented US-North Korea summit due to take place in coming weeks.

Despite allegations that hundreds of millions of dollars of state money ended up in his personal bank account, and arrests of people who bring it up, support for Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak remains strong in regional areas.

China's "Helmsman" President Xi Jinping wants the 1.4 billion people he leads to enthusiastically embrace the teachings of German philosopher Karl Marx, as part of a broader revival of the Communist Party.

US President Donald Trump admits to reimbursing lawyer Michael Cohen for the $130,000 hush payment to Stormy Daniels — a payment he once claimed no knowledge of — but insists the money did not come from campaign funds.