NSW police visited home where foster children lived with convicted killer month before government removed her

Middle East crisis live: New supreme leader ‘safe’ despite war injuries, says president’s son; Iran retaliates as Israel pounds Lebanon

The comments come amid speculation over the health and whereabouts of Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since he succeeded his fatherHow have you been affected by the latest Middle East events?Over in Senate question time, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has confirmed embassies in Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv and the consulate in Dubai all physically closed in the last week. Wong said the government’s number one priority is to “keep Australians safe at home and abroad”. She continued: “The dangerous and destabilising attacks by Iran put civilian lives at risk, including Australian lives.” More than 3,200 Australians over 23 commercial flights have returned to Australia since the US and Israel attacked Iran, setting off a regional conflict and grounding thousands of international flights.Wong criticised Nationals senators for “winding up people and stoking fear” to panic buy fuel. The senator said:“Petrol companies are telling us that fuel stock continues to arrive as expected and on time but there has been a large change in the pattern of demand and that is having an effect on the supply, particularly in regional communities. We have seen jerry cans coming off the shelves at Bunnings and lines at the pump.”One of the two members of the Iranian women’s football teams provided with a humanitarian visa to stay in Australia has changed her mind and contacted the Iranian embassy, according to the country’s home affairs minister.In Australia, people are able to change their mind, people are able to travel. So, we respect the context in which she has made that decision.Unfortunately, in making that decision, she had been advised by her teammates and coach to contact the Iranian embassy and get collected … As a result of that, it meant that the Iranian embassy now knew the location of where everybody was. Continue reading...

Damage caused to buildings in Tehran following US-Israeli strikes

Video shows the destruction caused to buildings in Iran’s capital after a reported strike near Mehrabad airport.

No 10 to release hundreds of files on Mandelson’s US ambassador appointment on Wednesday

First tranche expected to include Cabinet Office report warning of ‘reputational risk’ over ex-minister’s links to EpsteinHundreds of documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US are expected to be released by Downing Street on Wednesday.The first tranche of files will include a two-page due diligence report by the Cabinet Office, which is likely to raise questions about Keir Starmer’s judgment, the Guardian understands. Continue reading...

U.S. Says It Struck 16 Iranian Mine-Laying Vessels Near Oil Route

Whether any mines had been laid in the Strait of Hormuz since the war began on Feb. 28 is unclear. The Pentagon said 140 American service members had been wounded, eight severely, in the war.

One Member of Iranian Soccer Squad Abandons Asylum Bid in Australia

Seven members of the Iranian women’s soccer delegation had initially opted to stay in Australia. The reversal was a sign of how fraught that decision was.

Here’s the latest.

Israel pounds Lebanon, targets residential building in central Beirut

The strike in a densely populated area appears to be another attempted assassination, with no information yet on target.

Israeli strikes hit Beirut suburbs

This is the moment an Israeli air attack hit a residential area in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Iran fires missiles, drones at Gulf nations as ship hit in Strait of Hormuz

Tehran keeps up daily pressure as UNSC readies vote on GCC bid urging Iran to halt attacks on neighbours.