Reserve troops fanned out across fire-ravaged regions in three Australian states on Monday after a horror weekend, as the government pledged $1.4bn over two years to help recover from the devastating months-long crisis.

President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites “very hard” if Iran attacks Americans or US assets after a drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and an Iraqi militia leader, as tens of thousands of people marched in Iraq to mourn their deaths.

Groups of protesters took to the streets in Washington and other US cities on Saturday to condemn the air strike in Iraq ordered by President Donald Trump that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and Trump’s decision to send about 3,000 more troops to the Middle East.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Saturday named Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz as the country’s first prime minister since 1976 - a nomination quickly confirmed by the country’s parliament.

The US House gaveled in for a historic session on 18 December night to impeach President Donald Trump on allegations that he abused his power and obstructed congressional efforts to investigate his actions. In a vote that will leave a lasting mark on his tenure at the White House, Trump has now become the third American chief executive to be formally charged under the Constitution’s ultimate remedy for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Five people were killed, 18 were injured and several more were left stranded after an island volcano popular with tourists erupted unexpectedly in New Zealand on Monday. Nothing is yet known about a group - now estimated to number in the double digits - who are still trapped on the island.

At least a half-dozen companies that make or distribute prescription opioid painkillers are facing a federal criminal investigation of their roles in a nationwide addiction and overdose crisis. Many activists have called for drug companies to not only be sued but also face criminal charges. An investigation is a step in that direction, though it is not clear when or whether any criminal charges might be filed.

Bolivia's Senate approved a bill Saturday that could open the door to new elections in the crisis-hit country, as the caretaker government prepared to meet with protesters to end weeks of unrest. Crucially, it bars candidates who have served in both of the two previous terms from seeking re-election for the same position, which would likely prevent former Bolivian President Evo Morales from contesting the presidency in the new ballot.

Jeanine Anez, the head of Bolivia's Senate, took office as interim president on Tuesday, invoking a constitutional clause that dictates that she would be next in line to rule the country after Evo Morales and his vice president Alvaro Garcia resigned two days ago. Meanwhile, the former president pledged to keep up his political fight from exile in Mexico.

The Chilean government has agreed to write a new constitution to replace one dating back to the Pinochet dictatorship, bowing to the demands of protesters who have taken to the streets in often violent demonstrations in recent weeks. Interior Minister Gonzalo Blumel said the president, cabinet members and political allies had agreed Congress should lead the process of re-writing the constitution. The document would be put to a public referendum.