Taylor Swift has turned one mysterious new single into a much bigger surprise. After revealing “Patient Zero,” Swift confirmed that it is one of four brand-new songs arriving with The Life Of A Showgirl: The Encore.

The expanded edition adds “Patient Zero,” “Cleveland!,” “Pink Clouding” and “Babylon” — four titles already capable of triggering an avalanche of theories before listeners have heard a single lyric.

But there is an even more fascinating story behind the songs. Swift says the material emerged during a celebratory trip to Sweden with Max Martin and Shellback after the extraordinary success of The Life Of A Showgirl. A studio was nearby, inspiration hit, and the supposed celebration turned into another recording session.

We break down what is actually confirmed, what the titles might suggest, why “Cleveland!” is attracting particular attention and how Swift has transformed the art of announcing new music into an event of its own.

Taiwan has responded as Donald Trump and Xi Jinping prepare for another high-stakes summit — and one issue is becoming impossible to ignore.

Taipei says it remains in close contact with Washington and has thanked the United States for its continued support. At almost exactly the same moment, Beijing has sharpened its warning over American arms sales to Taiwan.

That places the island directly beneath one of the most consequential diplomatic meetings in the world.

But the biggest development may not be a dramatic agreement. It could be a change in wording, a subtle shift in policy language or a private understanding that alters how Washington, Beijing and Taipei calculate what happens next.

Denmark has issued a major new warning about Russia — and the threat is not simply another conventional invasion.

Danish intelligence believes Moscow could intensify its hybrid campaign against the West in the coming months, potentially increasing sabotage, cyberattacks, covert operations and military provocations designed to cause greater damage without triggering an immediate conventional war.

That creates one of NATO’s most difficult security problems.

What happens when infrastructure is attacked but responsibility is initially unclear? When an unidentified drone crosses a border? When a cyberattack causes serious disruption? Or when sabotage targets the companies and transport networks supplying Ukraine?

Pope Leo XIV is turning artificial intelligence into one of the defining technological questions of his papacy — and his concern reaches far beyond chatbots, misinformation or disappearing jobs.

He is asking whether humanity can continue making AI more powerful while remaining certain that humans will always control it.

Examine the Pope's warnings, why modern AI systems can behave in ways even their developers cannot completely predict, the rise of autonomous AI agents, the theoretical danger of artificial superintelligence and the crucial difference between today's real risks and speculative extinction scenarios.

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are meeting in Washington, but one of the most sensitive issues between the United States and China has already forced its way onto the agenda.

Just before the summit, China renewed its warning over American arms sales to Taiwan, urging Washington to handle the issue with extreme caution. Behind those diplomatic words sits a much larger strategic struggle involving billions of dollars in weapons, Taiwan’s defenses, Chinese sovereignty claims and the future balance of power across the Indo-Pacific.

What is Beijing demanding, why US arms sales matter so much to Taiwan, what the delayed multibillion-dollar weapons package could signal, and why governments across Asia will be watching Trump’s language almost as closely as any formal agreement.

The summit may focus on cooperation. Taiwan remains the issue where miscalculations could carry extraordinary consequences.

Amanda Laing is leaving Nine after around 18 months overseeing Channel 9, 9Now and Stan, with reports linking the departure to a restructure of the broadcaster’s television and streaming operations.

Her exit comes only days after she helped present Nine’s 2027 strategy to advertisers. We examine why the timing matters, the pressure facing Nine’s television business and the unanswered question of who will control its increasingly connected broadcast and streaming empire.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport temporarily halted flights after an unidentified drone was reported near a runway, forcing aircraft to divert before operations resumed.

Police did not locate the drone, leaving its type and operator unknown. BER has recorded 28 drone sightings in the first half of 2026, raising wider questions about airport security, aviation safety and Europe's growing drone problem.

The 2026 ARIA Awards nominations are here, with Tame Impala and Genesis Owusu leading on eight nominations each and Ecca Vandal close behind with seven. Explore the Album of the Year contenders, Song of the Year nominees, public-voted categories and major names including G Flip, Baker Boy, Troye Sivan, Taylor Swift and BTS.

The 40th ARIA Awards take place at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on 18 November, setting up one of Australian music’s biggest nights of 2026.

North Korea has tested an upgraded 240mm guided multiple-launch rocket system capable, according to Pyongyang, of striking targets up to 115 kilometres away. That sounds modest beside an intercontinental ballistic missile — but the geography of the Korean Peninsula makes it far more significant than it first appears.

Seoul sits extraordinarily close to the North Korean border. American forces operate major installations farther south. And Pyongyang is increasingly combining artillery, guided rockets, ballistic missiles and nuclear-capable systems into a layered strike force.

So who could this particular weapon actually hit? Could it reach Seoul? Could American military bases be threatened? What about Japan? And why is North Korea investing so heavily in weapons designed for a conflict fought much closer to home?

Donald Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House lasted only days before becoming the center of a major federal court battle. Now Judge Timothy Kelly has ordered access restored while the organizations’ constitutional challenge continues.

But this story is bigger than three media companies getting their press credentials back. At its heart is a question that could affect every future administration: when does presidential control over White House access become unconstitutional retaliation against the press?

What the administration argued in response, how earlier White House press cases shaped the decision, why the television press pool became involved, and what happens next.

The immediate ban has been interrupted. The wider fight over presidential power and press freedom is only beginning.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s summer visit to Britain contained one family moment that largely happened away from public view.

Now Charles Spencer has confirmed that Harry stayed at Althorp with his family — and his most vivid memory was not royal politics, security or palace tensions.

It was seeing Archie and Lilibet running around the Spencer family home and thinking about the grandmother they never got to meet.

For years, Meghan Markle’s relationship with Britain seemed defined by one word: departure. Now she is back — and the newest glimpse inside her life could hardly look more different.

A close friend has shared photographs of pub visits, garden games, family time and Prince Harry playing on the floor with a baby. But it is five words at the end of her message that may matter most: “She missed you too.”

Taylor Swift’s Showgirl era is suddenly back. The Life Of A Showgirl: The Encore arrives September 25 with four brand-new songs: “Patient Zero”, “Cleveland!”, “Pink Clouding” and “Babylon”. The announcement comes less than three months after Swift married Travis Kelce, making one title in particular almost impossible to ignore.

Kelce grew up in Cleveland Heights — but does “Cleveland!” actually have anything to do with him? And were these songs even written after the wedding?

We separate what Swift has actually confirmed from the theories already forming around the new tracks, explain how an unexpected studio session with Max Martin and Shellback created the expansion, and look at why this release could give The Life Of A Showgirl an entirely different final chapter.

The curtain was supposed to have fallen. Apparently Taylor Swift had one more scene.

Kyiv has endured another deadly night. Russian ballistic missiles approached Ukraine’s capital in repeated waves during the early hours of September 24, triggering explosions, emergency responses and damage across multiple districts.

People were killed and injured, medical facilities were affected, and residents who had already endured a major attack the previous day were once again forced towards shelter.

Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in New York after being convicted again over the 2006 sexual assault of former production assistant Miriam Haley.

But the headline only captures the final moment of an extraordinary legal journey.

Weinstein’s original New York conviction brought a 23-year sentence before the state’s highest court overturned it in 2024 over serious trial errors. Prosecutors then went back to court, presented their case again and secured a new conviction.

Further proceedings produced deadlocked juries, another charge was eventually dropped, and Weinstein has now returned to court for sentencing.

Pakistan says it has launched air and drone strikes against 10 locations inside Afghanistan after detecting and intercepting drones that it says entered Pakistani airspace from Afghan territory.

Afghanistan disputes responsibility for the attacks. Pakistan says it triggered the retaliation, creating a dangerous problem at the centre of an already volatile relationship: the two governments increasingly disagree not only about how to respond to violence but also about who initiated it.

What is known about the latest strikes, how drone warfare is changing the escalation equation, the long-running dispute over militant groups operating around the border, and how recent violence in Kohat has intensified Pakistan's security pressure?

With regional governments attempting to keep the confrontation contained, another round of retaliation could become far harder to stop.

Donald Trump has welcomed Xi Jinping to Washington as the United States and China extend their trade truce until January 10. The state visit puts tariffs, semiconductor controls, rare earths, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and Iran under intense scrutiny.

The immediate trade deadline has moved, but the larger economic rivalry between Washington and Beijing remains unresolved.

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping enter a critical Washington summit with trade, artificial intelligence, Iran and Taiwan dominating the agenda. Xi's three-day US state visit comes as both countries try to preserve a fragile economic truce while competing for technological and strategic power.

The talks could produce limited agreements on AI communication, tariffs and military dialogue, but some of the world's most dangerous disputes remain unresolved.

Xi Jinping was expected to bring a notable Chinese business presence to Washington, but later reporting says a CEO delegation is unlikely. We trace how the expectation developed, why the distinction between “planned” and “confirmed” matters, and what the attendance question could mean for commercial announcements.

Xi Jinping was expected to bring a notable Chinese business presence to Washington, but later reporting says a CEO delegation is unlikely. We trace how the expectation developed, why the distinction between “planned” and “confirmed” matters, and what the attendance question could mean for commercial announcements.