Norman Hermant

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Norman Hermant

US President Donald Trump made it clear he wanted to strike a deal with Ukraine on rare earth minerals. But after negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy stagnated he is looking at another war-torn nation facing an invader as another option: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The rebel group known as M23 has been fighting in the eastern part of the African nation for more than a decade. Since the beginning of this year, they've staged a remarkable resurgence.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Norman Hermant |Lucy Kent

Saturday footy on free-to-air television has long been a staple of Australian culture but in 2025 that is about to change. Foxtel has confirmed to 7.30 that all Saturday games for the home-and-away season will be broadcast exclusively on Fox Footy in Victoria, Tasmania and Northern Territory.

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Norman Hermant

In regional and remote Australia more people are turning to Elon Musk's Starlink to stay connected to the internet. The company run by the world's richest man, — who is now a key part of the second Trump administration — has 7,000 satellites in orbit and eventually plans to have up to 12,000 to cover the globe. In Australia there are currently believed to be around 200,000 Starlink connections, according to Communications Minister Michell Rowland.

Jan 8, 2025 | abc.net.au | Norman Hermant

You know those videos you see on social media. Where someone gets out of their car but forgets to put it in park? As they walk away the car starts to roll, slowly. Eventually they notice and turn around. Sometimes they try to get back in. Often, they race in front and lean against the bonnet. The car keeps rolling. And no matter what they do, they can't stop it. For the Past two years, Justin Trudeau has been the guy trying to stop the car.

Dec 16, 2024 | abc.net.au | Alysia Thomas-Sam |Norman Hermant

Syria's Sednaya prison is where the extreme brutality of the Assad regime over the last 13 years was at its worst. Inside the facility's concrete cells, tens of thousands of prisoners were subjected to extreme torture, mass hangings and 'salt rooms'. "The salt room is used to torture people, to put dead bodies in that place in order to preserve it. They collect 20 dead bodies, and then they take them out of the prison," said Ammar al Salmofrom Syrian civil defence group, the White Helmets.