Benjamin Torres, son of Valerie Mack, files suit before Rex Heuermann reportedly set to change plea to guiltyThe accused serial killer Rex Heuermann is being sued along with his former wife and their daughter, by the son of one of his alleged victims.Benjamin Torres, the son of Valerie Mack, one the victims charged in the case against Heuermann, claims his mother was âtortured ferociously, and her body dismemberedâ. Continue reading...
Agreement comes after Wellington halted millions in aid to its former colony after Cook Islands formed strategic partnership with Beijing New Zealand and the Cook Islands have signed a defence and security declaration, ending a year-long diplomatic row that erupted after the Cook Islands struck strategic agreements with China.The Cook Islands was a dependent New Zealand colony from 1901-65 but has since operated as a self-governing nation in âfree associationâ with New Zealand. Its roughly 17,000 citizens hold New Zealand citizenship. There are obligations between the two nations to regularly consult on matters of defence and security. Continue reading...
Fifty-eight others found alive during rescue in early hours of Wednesday, according to coastguard spokespersonThe bodies of 19 people have been recovered from an inflatable boat south of the island of Lampedusa by the Italian coastguard, a spoksperson told AFP.Fifty-eight other people, including five children, were found alive during the rescue in the early hours of Wednesday and transported to Lampedusa by the coastguard, according to Roberto DâArrigo. Continue reading...
⢠US President Donald Trump threatened Monday to destroy Iran's Kharg Island crude oil export hub, along with oil wells and power plants, unless Tehran quickly accepts a deal to end the US-Israeli war.
⢠The threat of potential US ground operations to seize Kharg Island is creating significant tremors through financial and energy markets, as well as raising concerns among neighbouring Gulf countries.
⢠Trump expressed hope about talks with a "more reasonable regime" in Tehran on his Truth Social network, an apparent reference to new leadership despite the month-long war failing to dislodge the Islamic Republic.
⢠The Pentagon is preparing plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran involving conventional infantry and special operations elements, with decisions now resting with President Trump, according to the Washington Post.
⢠Trump raised the idea of U.S. forces seizing Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil terminal in the Persian Gulf, telling The Financial Times "Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don't. We have a lot of options."
⢠Trump also claimed Iran agreed to allow 20 ships carrying oil through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning as a "sign of respect," while the White House emphasized no final decision has been made on military operations.
Charity believes Middle East crisis may lead to even busier spring and summer in 2026The number of people helped by RNLI lifeguards on the beaches of the UK and the Channel Islands doubled last year and the charity believes the Middle East crisis may lead to an even busier spring and summer in 2026.While RNLI lifeguards went to the aid of about 18,000 people in 2023 and 2024, this leapt to more than 35,000 in 2025, the spike put down to a combination of good weather and an increased interest in seaside pursuits. Continue reading...
US president tells Financial Times his âpreference would be to take the oilâ but that âsome stupid people back in the US say: âwhy are you doing that?ââFull report: Iran accuses US of plotting ground assault while publicly seeking talksAnalysis: what the Houthisâ entry into the Iran war means for the conflict and the wider regionThe price of brent crude had now gone over $116 a barrel, while stock markets have slumped in Asia as investors dig in for a protracted Gulf conflict that could bring a spike in inflation and the risk of recession to much of the globe.Brent crude was just over $70 a barrel when the war started last month and prices have risen by over 50% since. Continue reading...
Rex Heuermann, 62, who is accused of murdering seven women over 17 years, is due to appear in court next monthThe man accused in Long Islandâs infamous Gilgo Beach serial killings intends to plead guilty in the case next month, according to two people familiar with his decision.Rex Heuermann, a former architect charged with murdering seven women over 17 years, is set to change his plea from not guilty at his next scheduled court hearing on 8 April, they said. Continue reading...
Two others injured after sightseeing aircraft comes down on remote beach on Na Pali CoastA tourist helicopter crashed on a remote beach on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, killing three people and injuring two others, authorities said.The helicopter was carrying one pilot and four passengers when it crashed on Thursday afternoon at Kalalau Beach, the Kauai fire department said. The beach is on the Na Pali Coast on Kauaiâs north shore. The area is otherwise reachable only by hiking or boat. Continue reading...
Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland is ferret-free after ÂŁ4.5m five-year partnership led by RSPB NIPredatory feral ferrets have been removed from an island for the first time ever, in a boost for Northern Irelandâs largest seabird colony.Rathlin Island is ferret-free after a ÂŁ4.5m five-year partnership led by RSPB NI involving islanders, charities, volunteers and a red labrador called Woody. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Townsville lawyer and former detective Darren Robinsonâs appointment by attorney general Deb Frecklington has âbrought back a lot of traumaâ for Indigenous communityGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Queensland government has âopened old woundsâ by appointing a former police detective who was heavily criticised for his role in events surrounding the 2004 riots on Palm Island to the stateâs Legal Aid board, say First Nations community leaders and members of the legal fraternity.The Liberal National party government sacked and replaced all Labor-appointed members of the Legal Aid Queensland board last month. Continue reading...
Claims come despite Donald Trump saying he is not leaning towards putting âboots on the groundâMiddle East crisis â live updatesThe US is reportedly considering plans to occupy or blockade Iranâs Kharg Island to pressure Tehran to reopen the strait of Hormuz despite earlier suggestions by Donald Trump that he was not leaning towards putting âboots on the groundâ.The claims, made on the Axios website, followed previous reporting that the US was considering occupying the key Iranian oil terminal. Continue reading...
Samoa and Tonga raise supply concerns with foreign partners as businesses and residents in Papua New Guinea grapple with higher fuel prices amid the Iran warThe leaders of some Pacific countries have appealed for help with oil supplies while others urge against âpanic buyingâ as the import-reliant nations grapple with fears over possible fuel shortages and escalating costs caused by war in the Middle East.Oil prices have surged to nearly $110 a barrel after strikes against energy infrastructure in Iran and the Gulf states. Continue reading...
US president said he did not want to make a deal with Iran yet, while claiming that he might hit Kharg Island again âjust for funâHow have you been affected by the latest Middle East events?Donald Trump has said he is âsurprisedâ that US allies in the Gulf have been targeted by Iran, in an interview with NBC News.The president called these countries âterrificâ, adding that âthey got shot at unnecessarily.â When talking about Iranâs decision to target them, Trump said it was âthe biggest surprise I had of this whole thing.âLebanonâs health ministry said Israeli strikes have killed 826 people, including 65 women and 106 children, since the start of the war. In a statement today, the ministry said 31 paramedics were among those killed. Local health authorities reported this morning that an Israeli strike killed 12 medical staff at a clinic in the southern town of Burj Qalaouiya.At least 15 people were killed when a strike by Israel and the US hit a factory in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, the semi-official Fars news agency said. There were workers inside the factory, which produces heaters and refrigerators, when the strike hit, Fars reported.Iran issued an evacuation warning for three major ports in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, including the busiest in the Middle East, the Associated Press reported. Iran claims the US had used âports, docks and hideoutsâ in the UAE to launch strikes on Iranâs Kharg Island. It urged people to evacuate areas where it said US forces were sheltering.Trump renewed his call for other nations to help secure the strait of Hormuz and said the US will coordinate with them amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. âThe United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help â A LOT,â Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.The Trump administration rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war that started two weeks ago with a massive US-Israeli air assault, according to reporting from Reuters.The Israeli military says it killed two senior officials in Iranâs Khatam al-Anbiya Emergency Command in an airstrike on Tehran. In a post on X, army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Abdullah Jalali-Nasab and Amir Shariat, described as senior figures in the commandâs intelligence branch, were killed in the attack.Israel informed the US this week that it is running critically low on ballistic missile interceptors as the conflict with Iran continues, Semafor reported on Saturday, citing US officials familiar with the matter.The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr accused news broadcasters of ârunning hoaxes and news distortionsâ amid the war in Iran in a post on X. âBroadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions - also known as the fake news - have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up,â Carr wrote.Formula One has cancelled the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia grands prix because of the war, underlining the disruption across the Middle East. The races were due to take place on 12 April in Bahrain and 19 April in Saudi Arabia but the sport was approaching the point at which a decision on cancellation needed to be made to prevent more freight being sent to Bahrain. Continue reading...
In comments to NBC News, US presidents also deflates hope of deal with Tehran, saying âterms arenât good enoughâDonald Trump said on Saturday that the United States may carry out more strikes on Iranâs Kharg Island oil export hub âjust for funâ, saying that while Tehran appears ready to make a deal to end the conflict, âthe terms arenât good enough yetâ.He said the US strikes had âtotally demolishedâ most of Kharg Island, telling NBC News that âwe may hit it a few more times just for fun.â Continue reading...
President Donald Trump announced US forces 'obliterated' military targets on Iran's Kharg Island, primary terminal for its oil exports, prompting threats of escalated retaliation from Iran's Parliament speaker. Iranian media reported 15 explosions on the island targeting air defenses, naval bases, and helicopter hangars, with no oil facilities damaged. The strikes coincide with Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, halting shipping and surging global oil prices, as the US considers Navy escorts for tankers. Trump warned of further action against Iran's oil infrastructure if attacks continue.
President Donald Trump announced US forces 'obliterated' military targets on Iran's Kharg Island, primary terminal for oil exports, prompting threats of escalated retaliation from Iran's Parliament speaker. Iranian media reported 15 explosions targeting air defenses, naval bases, and airport facilities with no oil damage confirmed. The strikes occur as Iran has halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting a fifth of global traded oil. Trump warned of further action against Iran's oil assets if disruptions continue.
This blog has now closed. Follow our Middle East blog hereBoth Pete Hegseth and Dan Caine were asked today about energy secretary Chris Wrightâs comments to CNBC on Thursday, where he said that the US Navy cannot escort ships through the strait of Hormuz now but it was âquite likelyâ that could happen by the end of the month.Gen Caine appeared to agree with Wrightâs assessment, calling the waterway a âtactically complex environmentâ. Continue reading...
President says forces âobliteratedâ military targets on Kharg Island and warned its oil infrastructure could be nextMiddle East crisis â live updatesDonald Trump said Friday that US forces have âobliteratedâ military targets on Iranâs Kharg Island and warned that the oil infrastructure there could be next.âFor reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island,â Trump wrote on social media. âHowever, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision.â Continue reading...
President Trump announced on March 14, 2026, that US troops attacked Kharg Island, Iran's key energy export facility, following joint US-Israel strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The operation marks a major escalation in the US-Iran war, disrupting Iran's oil lifeline and prompting Iranian cyber retaliation. Tensions heighten domestic terrorism risks and strain federal agencies amid midterm election pressures. Next steps may involve further military actions or diplomatic efforts to contain the conflict.
President Donald Trump announced that US forces obliterated military targets on Iran's Kharg Island, a key oil export terminal, on March 13, 2026, with Iranian media reporting 15 explosions targeting air defenses, naval bases, and airport facilities but sparing oil infrastructure. Trump warned that Iran's oil infrastructure could be next if retaliation escalates, as the two-week war shows no signs of ending amid ongoing missile and drone attacks on Israel and Gulf states. The strikes heighten global energy risks since Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of world oil passes, potentially driving prices higher despite recent reserve releases. US officials are deploying 2,500 more Marines and an amphibious ship to the Middle East to bolster forces.
