US eases sanctions on Iranian oil as Trump claims he is considering ‘winding down’ the war

Move to allow shipments already at sea comes amid a supply crisis and after US president says he does not ‘want to do a ceasefire’; IDF says it is attacking regime targets in Tehran after missiles fired at Israel from IranUS to send three more warships and thousands more troops, reports sayHow the Iran war has sent shocks rippling across the globeHello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and its repercussions for the Middle East, the world and the global economy.President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering “winding down” military operations against Iran, as the US temporarily eased sanctions on Iranian oil shipments to stem a global supply crisis.Iran is willing to help Japanese ships sail a vital route for global fuel supplies, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told Kyodo News in an interview published on Saturday. Japan depends on crude oil imports from the Middle East, most of which transits the strait of Hormuz.Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia but neither of them hit the joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, the Wall Street Journal and CNN reported, citing multiple US officials. The WSJ said one of the missiles failed in flight, and a US warship fired an SM-3 interceptor at the other. Neither outlet confirmed when Iran launched the missiles.One person was killed and two others wounded after an Israeli airstrike hit a house in a town in southern Lebanon early on Saturday, state media said.Trump continued to make his disappointment with the British government known, saying the UK “should have acted a lot faster” in allowing the US military to use its bases in the Middle East.Earlier, Downing Street approved US use of its bases “for the collective self-defence of the region”, including “defensive operations” degrading Iranian missile sites targeting ships in the strait of Hormuz. Britain had previously only allowed US forces to use its bases for operations to prevent Iran firing missiles that put British interests or lives at risk.Araghchi said UK prime minister Keir Starmer “is putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran”. Continue reading...

Family says actor, who played Xander in hit TV series, died on Friday ‘in his sleep of natural causes’Nicholas Brendon, the actor best known for playing Xander in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died. He was 54.Brendon’s family issued a statement saying that he died on Friday “in his sleep of natural causes”. Continue reading...

California jurors hand win to investors who sued billionaire saying he publicly disparaged social media platform in 2022A California jury has ruled that Elon Musk is responsible for Twitter investors’ stock plummeting when he sought to buy the social media platform for $44bn in 2022. Jurors handed the win to a group of investors who sued the billionaire saying he publicly disparaged the company with the aim of bringing down Twitter’s stock price to get a better bargain.The trial, which began earlier this month in federal court in San Francisco, focused on whether Musk intended to move the market with his comments. During a six-month period in 2022, after his offer to buy Twitter, he posted constantly to his millions of followers that the social network was rife with bots that produced spam and created fake accounts. Continue reading...

Aoi Baxter was the party’s candidate for the state seat of Adelaide in Saturday’s election Former South Australian One Nation candidate, Aoi Baxter, has been dumped by the rightwing party, after media reports claiming there is a warrant for his arrest in the UK.Baxter, who was reportedly previously known as Trent Baxter, had allegedly failed to appear at a court hearing, according to reporting by the ABC. A UK court confirmed to the ABC a warrant had been issued for the arrest of a man named Trent Baxter. Continue reading...

Treasury secretary Scott Bessent says move will bring 140m barrels to market but insists Tehran will not benefitThe Trump administration has issued a 30-day sanctions waiver for the purchase of Iranian oil at sea to ease energy supply pressures since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said.It is the third time the US has temporarily waived sanctions in about two weeks. Continue reading...

Proposal fails to advance in Senate amid growing concerns about long lines to get through screening at some airportsA bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security failed to advance on Friday in the Senate amid growing concerns about long lines to get through screening at some of the country’s biggest airports.Democrats declined to provide the support needed to move the funding measure toward final passage. Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, said he would offer an alternative measure on Saturday to fund just the Transportation Security Administration, which screens passengers and luggage for hazardous items. That too is likely to fail as lawmakers hold a rare weekend session. Continue reading...

Prosecutors say they paid ‘slammers’ to intentionally crash into tractor-trailers and file fraudulent lawsuitsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA federal jury in New Orleans has found two personal injury attorneys guilty of involving themselves in a scheme to stage collisions with 18-wheelers and then collect settlement payouts.The lawyers, Jason Giles and former Hollywood stuntwoman Vanessa Motta, were found guilty on Friday of fraud, obstruction of justice and witness tampering, local news outlets WVUE and WWL Louisiana – a Guardian reporting partner – reported. Their law firms were convicted of related charges. Continue reading...

US president claims he ‘always says yes’ to Australia, Japan and South Korea, after saying he didn’t need help from trio of countries earlier this weekDonald Trump says he is “very surprised” Australia has not sent warships to aid in opening the strait of Hormuz as the blockade of the key strategic route for global oil supply continues to impact fuel prices.“I was very surprised,” the US president said in Washington on Friday when asked what he took issue with regarding Japan, South Korea and Australia. Continue reading...

Former boxing world champion’s cause of death was hanging but his intention was unclear, inquest concludesA coroner has said she “cannot be satisfied” that British former boxing world champion Ricky Hattonintended to take his own life.Hatton, 46, was found dead in his home on 14 September, with the inquest concluding that the official cause of his death was hanging.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Mary Fong Lau crashed into bus shelter in 2024, causing deaths of two parents and two infant childrenThe 80-year-old woman that prosecutors found responsible for a car crash that killed a family of four in San Francisco has been sentenced to two years of probation and will have her driver’s license suspended.Lau will receive no jail time and will not be subject to home confinement. As part of her sentence, she must complete 200 hours of community service. Continue reading...

Affected communities in Queensland and the NT can apply for an Australian government disaster recovery payment from 2pm SaturdayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThousands of people are bracing for Severe Cyclone Narelle as it barrels towards the Northern Territory, with winds of up to 195km/h expected from the dangerous storm as it moves west from far north Queensland.Narelle was downgraded from a category four to a two as it moved through the Gulf of Carpentaria after making landfall across Cape York on Friday, forecasted to hit eastern Top End late Saturday. Continue reading...