Iran firm on oil blockade as Trump threatens strikes
President Donald Trump warns that US attacks could rise sharply if Iran blocks tanker traffic, while Tehran vows that no oil will move if attacks continue.
unrest, conflicts and war
Open asylum offer as Iranian soccer players leave hotel
Five members of the Iranian women's soccer team have been granted asylum in Australia and the prime minister has extended the offer to others who want to stay.
Australian spy plane to watch Middle East battle space
Australia will deploy an advanced spy plane to the Middle East to defend against Iranian attacks, although critics warn the nation is being drawn into the war.
Trump discussed Ukraine and Iran conflicts with Putin
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have spoken on the phone about the wars in Iran and Ukraine.
Fears a new war will distract the world from Gaza
Palestinians in Gaza are hoarding food again, with prices rising sharply as the world's attention shifts from the ceasefire to the new conflict with Iran.
Iran conflict widens as Israel launches Lebanon strikes
A top Iranian security official has vowed defiantly that "we will not negotiate with the United States" as the war widens to include militias in Lebanon.
Zelenskiy doubts Russia’s spring offensive capability
With peace talks set to resume this week, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has cast doubt on Russia's capacity to mount an effective spring offensive.
Fresh travel warning as Aussie base hit in Middle East
Thousands of Australians remain stranded in the Middle East as military tensions flare, with an Australian defence base coming under attack from Iran.
Middle East war enters fourth day in ‘smoke and blood’
President Donald Trump says the US has "the capability to go far longer" than its projected four-to-five-week time frame for military operations against Iran.
Rate hike odds spike for ‘live’ March RBA meeting
The battle to tame inflation has been thrown into more uncertainty by conflict in Iran and the Middle East, the Reserve Bank governor says.
Gaza fuel running short after Israel closes borders
Border closures are stoking fears of a return to the famine which gripped parts of Gaza last year after Israel blocked aid deliveries for 11 weeks.
No pain at the pump: petrol companies warned on gouging
Petrol stations will be closely watched for signs of price gouging after military tensions exploded in the Middle East.
Hundreds of Aussies heading home after US-led strikes
A Sydney-bound flight is on its way to Dubai carrying fleeing Australians as crisis teams are sent to the Middle East to provide extra consular support.
Pakistan says 67 Afghan troops killed in border clashes
Islamabad says 67 Afghan troops and one Pakistani soldier have been killed in cross-border clashes.
Sudan implicates Ethiopia in its civil war
Sudan has pointed the finger at Ethiopia, accusing its neighbour of assisting the Rapid Support Services of launching drones from its territory.
US strikes on Iran ‘ahead of game plan’ as markets dive
The war in the Middle East is escalating, with nearly 800 killed in Iran as explosions rock Lebanon, where Israel says it's retaliating against Hezbollah.
Airline, travel industries scramble with war fallout
Ten of thousands of anxious travellers are clamouring for ways out of the Middle East as the widening Iran war constrains commercial flights through the region.
Post-strike petrol hikes ‘completely unjustifiable’
Petrol prices are on the rise across Sydney and Melbourne after the military strikes on Iran, but the NRMA says the increases can't be justified.
Iran warns US will ‘bitterly regret’ sinking warship
Iran has launched new strikes against Israel and US military bases in the Middle East after an American submarine sank an Iranian warship.
Hundreds more Aussies flee ‘volatile’ Middle East
A second Australia-bound flight has left Dubai with hundreds of citizens on board as tens of thousands more remain stuck in the Middle East.
Russia-Ukraine peace talks postponed due to Mideast war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled as the war in the Middle East pulls focus away.
Australian shares bounce on talk of Iran war slowdown
Hopes of potential de-escalation in the Middle East and US assurances around crude supply have supported a lift in equities, despite a fresh wave of attacks.
Festival of world music scrambles due to world conflict
More than 120 artists and crew heading to the WOMADelaide festival have been caught up in travel chaos, with some making massive journeys so they can perform.
Assail of two cities: Tehran and Beirut under attack
US President Donald Trump has encouraged Iranian Kurdish forces in Iraq to launch attacks against Iran as the Middle East conflict widens.
‘Disgusting’: returning Australians slam empty seats
The lucky few Australians arriving home from the Middle East have slammed the government for failing to fill most of the seats with desperate passengers.
Russia and Ukraine to swap a total of 1000 prisoners
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 200 prisoners of war on each side and will swap another 300 within the next day, officials say.
Trump warns Iran will be ‘hit very hard’ in new attacks
Iran is about to be "hit very hard", President Donald Trump says, as the US considers targeting new areas and groups "because of Iran's bad behaviour".
Russia, Ukraine swap 300 troops on second exchange day
Ukraine and Russia have exchanged prisoners of war for the second time in two days.
Government ‘doing more’ to help bring Australians home
Efforts to assist Australians to return from the Middle East conflict are being stepped up by the federal government, with buses to cities with open airspace.
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy marks milestone vowing to fight on
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has observed four years since Russia's full-scale invasion by declaring Ukraine "will do everything to secure peace and justice".
Sudan paramilitary forces kill at least 28 in Darfur
A doctors group says that Sudanese paramilitary forces have killed 28 people in an attack on a stronghold of a Darfur tribal leader