COMMENT: They look so accessible and they're talked about as though they're everyone's next door neighbour.

COMMENT: Donald Trump is adding fuel to Wall Street anxiety about his candidacy, jabbing directly at big banks this week with new language.

Watch NZ Herald Focus: Russia's participation in the Rio Olympics is still uncertain as the IOC explores legal options for banning the country from the Games. Also Lady Gaga and her fiancé, Taylor Kinney, are ending their 5 year relationship

Trump made a splashy debut on the convention stage to introduce his wife, Melania, whose speech was a highlight of an otherwise uneven evening.

Turkish authorities have expanded a crackdown on military officials in a massive purge of opponents following a failed coup.

Here are questions we will know the answers to by the end of the week.

Melania Trump's speech was the high-point of the night - unfortunately it might be because it was copied from Michelle Obama.

COMMENT: Melania said the Trumps will bring kindness, love and compassion to the White House.

Cleveland is getting rowdy as pro-Trump, anti-Trump factions clash ahead of the Republican National Convention.

Having summoned democracy to his side, the Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may need to be more willing to honour it.

COMMENT: For such a wily campaigner Kevin Rudd has left his run late for the world's top diplomatic post.

Republican Party will be focused on two goals in Convention: reintroducing Donald Trump, and healing the leftover wounds of a brutal primary season.

COMMENT: After the attack in Nice, Donald Trump was able to promote his idea of banning Muslims in the United States.

"I promise you, the President has a big stick."

COMMENT: It is a nation that seems incapable of throwing off the shackles of its racism.

Chief Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson faced a wave of criticism and mockery after being named Britain's Foreign Secretary.

COMMENT: Helen Clark has stormed through the transparent part of her bid to lead the United Nations.

COMMENT:

The Philippines has urged Beijing to respect an international tribunal's ruling that rejected Chinese claims to most of the South China Sea.

The new British Prime Minister Theresa May has made Boris Johnson, the former London mayor who led the Brexit campaign, foreign minister. Another day and another wild weather warning - 140 kilometre winds and more heavy rain is heading our way.

Helen Clark is profoundly competent. Competence aside, she still faces a very merky, messy and secretive appointment process at the UN

Theresa May is formally appointed by the Queen as the UK's new prime minister. Japan’s Emperor Akihito could abdicate within a few years that’s according to a government source.

Many in Britain will be breathing more easily knowing a new Prime Minister is being sworn in today.

Hillary Clinton delivered a shot across the bows to the Trans-Pacific Partnership as her bid for the US presidency was endorsed by Bernie Sanders.

COMMENT: Malcolm Turnbull's narrow win in Australia ought to put fellow political brahmin John Key on notice.

Ongoing escalations in the South and East China Seas have some analysts daring to wonder who would win a war.

Source: UN / Al Jazeera