Damage assessments and clean-up operations are underway in New South Wales, where flooding has isolated towns, destroyed homes and displaced thousands of people.

Blasts echo across Ukrainian capital, wounding eight people as mayor warns "the city and the region are under a combined enemy attack."

Reporters will now require escorts to access large parts of Pentagon, including senior leadership offices, as US defence chief Pete Hegseth cites national security risks in new measures criticised as press suppression.