SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
Thank you for joining our continuing live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, the Israeli military said, after U.S. President Donald Trump postponed a threat to bomb the Islamic Republic’s power grid because of what he described as productive talks with Iranian officials.
The missiles triggered air raid sirens in parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv where blasts from interceptions were heard.
In one attack, homes in northern Israel were damaged by falling debris following an interception. No deaths were reported.
In an update on Telegram, Israel’s military said its search and rescue forces were on their way to impact sites in southern Israel, asking the public to avoid those areas.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen has just provided a state-by-state update on fuel shortages.
Here’s the data:
- NSW – 164 stations are without diesel, 289 are without at least one type of fuel.
- Queensland – 55 stations are without diesel, 35 are without regular unleaded.
- Victoria – 162 stations are without one or more grades of fuel.
- South Australia– 46 stations are without one or more grades of fuel.
- Western Australia – six stations have no fuel.
- Tasmania – one station has no diesel, six stations have no unleaded fuel.
- Northern Territory – no stations are without fuel because of supply issues, some may be impacted by weather events.
- ACT – no shortages.
The supply shockwaves from the US and Israel’s war in Iran are spreading across the global economy, raising concerns about an inflation hit to companies and consumers that will require policymakers to raise borrowing costs.
Wheat farmers in Australia – one of the world’s biggest agricultural exporters – are paring back plantings as concerns over fertiliser supplies mount.
Wheat is a nitrogen-intensive crop, with fertiliser use among the key factors for yields.
The US Defence Department will remove the offices of media outlets from the Pentagon after a federal judge sided with The New York Times in a lawsuit challenging limits on reporters’ access to the building, a department official announced Monday.
An area of the Pentagon known as “Correspondents’ Corridor” that reporters have used for decades to cover the US military will close immediately, department spokesperson Sean Parnell said.
Journalists will eventually be able to work from an “annex” outside the building, which he said “will be available when ready”.
He offered no detail about how long that will take.
There are reports that pro-government demonstrators have gathered on the main streets in Iran’s capital, Tehran, as they continue to denounce the US-Israeli military war on their country
“Despite threats of new bombardments and heavy rain, people gathered on Tehran’s longest street, Valiasr, waving flags and blasting out patriotic slogans on loudspeakers in support of the government,” reported Al Jazeera, referencing images from the Mehr news agency.
Al Jazeera also reported that hundreds more gathered well into the early morning of Tuesday at the Enghelab Square, also known as the Revolution Square, where images of the country’s current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and his predecessors are prominently displayed.
“Similar scenes were also reported by Mehr news agency in Karaj, a suburb west of Tehran, as well as in Ilam, in western Iran near the border with Iraq, and in Sari, a northern city near the Caspian Sea,” said Al Jazeera.
A quick story from our reporters in Perth.
A man accused of stealing fuel from a petrol station in Armadale, in Perth’s outer southeast, yesterday, and then arunning over a service attendee who tried to stop him as he fled, has been located and arrested.
WA Police alleged the 39-year-old local attended a Vibe petrol station about 1pm and filled up his vehicle with fuel, before attempting to leave without paying.
As he fled, a male service station attendee, aged in his 30s, attempted to stop him and was struck and injured by the vehicle.
At least 184 service stations nationwide have reported their pumps have no fuel, according to the latest reports.
NSW Premier Chris Minns revealed in state parliament on Tuesday 51 out of about 2500 service stations in NSW were out of fuel and 164 were out of diesel.
In Victoria, 101 service stations were out of petrol and 83 were without diesel.
“In some areas of Victoria, demand has increased by anywhere between 300 and 400 per cent,” Victoria’s Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio told ABC Radio Melbourne on Tuesday morning.
Oil rose after a steep drop on Monday on concern other nations may join the Middle East war, and as an Iranian lawmaker ruled out talks with the US.
Brent climbed toward $US104 a barrel, after plunging 11 per cent on Monday after President Donald Trump delayed for five days his threat to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure, claiming there were talks with Tehran. Iran denied negotiations were taking place, while Israel kept up attacks.
US crude benchmark West Texas Intermediate advanced almost 4 per cent.
US allies in the Persian Gulf were inching toward contributing to the fight, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Australian mining stocks gained the most in almost a year after President Donald Trump’s decision to postpone attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure.
A sub-gauge of materials shares rose as much as 4.1 per cent, the most since April 10, 2025, after a possible de-escalation in the Middle East supported prices of some metals.
BHP and Rio each climbed about 4 per cent, while copper producer Sandfire Resources Ltd. surged 11 per cent.
In a post on Truth Social last night, Trump said the US and Iran “have had, over the last two days, very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East”.
About 143,000 low- and middle-income households with children who already qualify for a working families tax credit will receive an extra $NZ50 ($AU41) per week.
“Those most affected by the global shockwave hitting the New Zealand economy are low- and middle-income families who cannot easily avoid higher fuel costs,” said Finance Minister Nicola Willis in her government’s first major fiscal policy response to the war in the Middle East.
A further 14,000 households will become eligible for a lower rate of the credit, which begins on April 7 and could run for up to a year, or until the price of the most commonly used petrol in New Zealand drops below $NZ3 ($AU2.51) per litre for four consecutive weeks.
AP
