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Actress Swell Ariel Or takes advocacy for Israeli women further in new film ‘Tankistas’
Israeli actress Swell Ariel Or, known for Netflix’s “The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem,” is expanding her advocacy for Israeli women and Jews through a new war drama, “Tankistas,” in which she plays an IDF unit captain during the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks. The Tel Aviv-born star, a former IDF service member, has said she…
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Pentagon races to buy 10X more missiles as Iran war dwindles arsenal, threatens readiness for China aggression
The Pentagon is overhauling its approach to buying missile-defence interceptors after years of relatively modest procurement left stockpiles thinner than needed, a shortfall exposed by the recent conflict involving Iran. Officials are now moving to buy roughly ten times more interceptors such as PAC-3 MSE and THAAD, amid concern that depleted arsenals could undermine American…
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Israel vindicated by Gaza nutrition data after ‘blood libel’ starvation claims, UN envoy says
Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, has said new nutrition data from Gaza vindicates Israel and disproves allegations that it deliberately starved the population during the war with Hamas. He described the earlier starvation claims as a “blood libel” propagated by figures linked to Hamas, arguing the fresh findings expose those accusations as fabricated. The comments…
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The Memo: Mideast troubles press in on Trump
President Trump is facing trouble on two fronts in the Middle East — and it’s not clear how he gets out of it. Iran is pressing what it sees as its strategic advantage over control of the Strait of Hormuz, ratcheting up its rhetoric and its demands. The Islamic Republic’s leadership is now insisting the…
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Trump hidden in catering truck in secret plane swap over Iran threat, reports say
Donald Trump secretly switched aircraft as he left a Nato summit in Ankara last month, in a covert manoeuvre reportedly staged in response to a credible Iranian threat to attack his plane, according to US media reports. He boarded the presidential jet in full view of cameras before being quietly transferred, via an elevated catering…
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Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death for crimes against humanity
A Syrian court has sentenced ousted president Bashar al-Assad and his younger brother to death in absentia for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during Syria’s 14-year civil war, which began in 2011 and killed an estimated half a million people. The ruling, handed down by the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus, marks the…
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Morning news brief
Voters in six states head to the polls Tuesday for high-profile primaries, Trump signals his strategy with Iran is shifting, 7.4 magnitude earthquake kills at least 111 people in Colombia.
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Oil prices rise and gold hits two-month high after Trump makes new deal demands on Iran – business live
Oil prices and gold both rose after Donald Trump issued fresh demands over a new nuclear deal with Iran, including compensation for damage the US claims to have incurred, complicating an already fragile standoff. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil-shipping route, remains effectively closed despite the absence of active conflict, keeping energy markets…
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Trump pivots back to sanctions for Iran as other strategies to end his war fizzle
The shift comes as U.S. stockpiles of key weapons have dwindled and as stop-start talks seem again to have stalled. But Trump insists the pressure can lead to a breakthrough.
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RBA holds rates as ASX reaches record high
The Reserve Bank of Australia held interest rates steady, easing pressure on mortgage holders and other borrowers who had braced for a further increase in borrowing costs. The decision coincided with the Australian share market (ASX) climbing to record highs, suggesting investors welcomed the central bank’s cautious, steady-as-she-goes stance, though the RBA governor made clear…