Middle East crisis live: Iranian official warns US troops set to deploy to region as Israel says it is expanding ‘buffer zone’ in Lebanon
Tehran says end to war must include halt to Israel’s offensive in Lebanon after Netanyahu comments prompt fears of protracted occupationAnalysis: Trump pitches Iran peace plan but military buildups rarely veer to off-rampIran rejects US ceasefire plan and submits its own amid push for talksIranian nationals with valid Australian tourist visas will be blocked from entering the country for six months, Australia’s home affairs minister said, citing concern some may decide to stay longer than they’re allowed. Tony Burke said the direction was necessary as there was a risk Iranians on tourist visas visiting Australia may be unable or unlikely to leave when their visa expires. The order only applies to people with a valid tourist visa outside of the country. The government said “sympathetic consideration” would be given to citizens with Iranian parents. The government said it would closely monitor global developments and adjust settings as required.If you’re just joining us, here’s a quick recap of the day:An Iranian military spokesperson mocked US attempts at a ceasefire deal, insisting Americans were only negotiating with themselves. Lt Col Ebrahim Zolfaghari’s statement came after the Trump administration reportedly sent a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran through Pakistan.Even as Donald Trump claimed productive negotiations to end the war were ongoing with Tehran, Iran’s relentless bombardment of the Gulf states showed no sign of relenting. Kuwait and Bahrain were both hit with damaging strikes on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, as the patience of the Gulf states after rebuffing constant attacks for almost a month began to wear thin.The World Trade Organisation warned disruptions to international fertiliser supplies caused by the closing of the strait of Hormuz will cause food scarcity and high prices. A third of the world’s fertilisers normally transit the strait.Oil prices fell nearly 6% and Asian shares gained, after reports Donald Trump had sent a peace plan to Iran fuelled optimism in the market. A barrel of Brent crude was down 5.92% at $98.30, while benchmark US oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, was down 5.01% at $87.72.Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed nine people, state media reported. Citing the health ministry, Lebanon’s official National News Agency said strikes had killed people across towns and a Palestinian refugee camp.News that Trump had approved the deployment of more than 1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East further undermined the US president’s repeated claims of successful peace talks. Iran has previously threatened to mine the gulf surrounding the island if the US appeared to be landing troops. Continue reading...
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Australia politics live: opposition calls on Labor to activate emergency powers to tackle fuel crisis
Angus Taylor says government must direct fuel to empty petrol stations. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBarnaby Joyce calls for fuel rationing, saying a ‘plan is better than panic’One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce who yesterday called on the government to pull the trigger on the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act, is today calling for the government to start rationing fuel.This is going to ripple through. It’s going to start with a few sort of peculiarities. Isn’t that interesting? I don’t seem to have any eggs today. And then it’s going to build up and up and up and up. But by the time it arrives, it’s too late …[The government] should be having rationing now, and he should be brave enough to say to the Australian people, look, you’re not going to like this, but you’re going to appreciate it. A plan is better than panic, and panic is where we’re going. Continue reading...
Canada’s Supreme Court Hears Case on Ability to Suspend Constitutional Rights
Quebec’s ban on religious symbols — and a measure that suspends constitutional rights — are being tested in a case with far-reaching repercussions.
Strike on alleged drug vessel kills four in the Caribbean, US military says
Latest strike comes as part of US Southern Command’s efforts to apply ‘total systemic friction on the cartels’The US has launched another strike on a vessel in the Caribbean, killing four people, the US Southern Command said Wednesday.The command which oversees combatant operations in Latin America and the Caribbean announced on X that it had conducted a “lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations”. Continue reading...
Mexico will continue accepting Cuban medical workers despite US pressure
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praises services from Cuban doctors, who often work in underserved rural areas.
Iran War Live Updates: Tehran Dismisses U.S. Cease-Fire Conditions as Israel Orders 48 Hours of Attacks
Tehran offered its own terms to end the fighting that include a demand for reparations. Israel, concerned that the war might end before it can dismantle Iran’s weapons programs, plans to ramp up its attacks.
Here’s What Happened in the War in the Middle East on Wednesday
The fighting continued while conditions for a possible cease-fire were debated.
White House tries to blame Democrats for airport delays as TSA workers miss out on $1bn in pay – US politics live
Some airports advise travelers to arrive four hours before their scheduled flights as TSA staff, who have been working without pay for over a month, are not reporting for dutySign up for the Breaking News US emailTop officials at agencies affected by the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown are testifying on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. The lapse in funding for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has lasted 40 days with little end in sight.During opening remarks, the Republican chair of the House homeland security committee, Andrew Garbarino, said that the shutdown has caused “massive disruptions” across airports, “weakened our nation’s cybersecurity posture” and “left states unsupported with less than 100 days until the start of major events across the United States, such as FIFA World Cup”. Continue reading...
Video shows Israeli strike hitting displacement camp in Gaza
Videos show the moment a strike hit a tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir el-Balah.