Brings

Trump’s unreliable style sows diplomatic confusion but leaves Tehran clear on strategic value of strait of HormuzDonald Trump’s decision to send US officials to Islamabad for further talks on Monday with Iran just 24 hours after Iran once again closed the strait of Hormuz will signal to Tehran that the strategic waterway remains a bargaining asset beyond parallel.It will also confirm in Iran’s eyes that the US president’s chaotic approach to diplomacy doubles the need for Tehran to act calmly and strategically – two competencies it believes he totally lacks. Continue reading...

Female journalists’ accounts of harassment trigger avalanche of allegations reaching as far as governmentJuanita Gómez was reporting on an international assignment for Caracol, a Colombian television channel in 2015, when an older colleague attempted to forcibly kiss her by inside a lift.She only managed to break free from him by pushing him away several times. Fearing any complaint would come down to the word of a “girl” against that of a senior presenter, she did not report the incident. Continue reading...

Petrol prices have stopped falling, despite the federal government’s cut to the fuel excise last weekTrack Australia’s fuel prices, service station outages and shipments in chartsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese will fly to Singapore this week – Australia’s biggest source of petrol – as the government mounts an international bid to keep fuel prices from rising.Diesel is getting more expensive again and petrol prices have stopped falling, despite the federal government’s cut to fuel excise last week. Continue reading...

Effective closure of strait of Hormuz also affecting Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, which have brought in crisis measuresSri Lanka is introducing a shorter four-day working week to preserve its shrinking fuel and gas reserves, as the Middle East conflict continues to severely disrupt energy supplies in the region.Countries across south Asia are facing crippling shortages of fuel and LPG gas, which are used for everything from home cooking to cremating bodies, as most supplies have been held up in the Gulf since the US and Israel began bombing Iran. Continue reading...

Suspects accused of throwing explosive devices at rightwing anti-Islam protesters as tensions rise across USEarly on Monday afternoon, two teens in white plastic jumpsuits were escorted into a Manhattan federal courtroom. Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, who were shackled and handcuffed, quietly took their seats at the defense table.If not for the metal restraints and jail garb, Balat, 18, and Kayumi, 19, could have been any number of young men who carry themselves with an aura of discomfort about their place in America. Continue reading...