Australia news LIVE: Wong says Israel's attack on Iran ‘alarming'; Air India crash kills hundreds

Sydney Morning Herald

20 hours ago

Key posts
10.54am $10 million package for Gaza announced
10.22am Israel claims it has attacked Iran
9.46am Trump warns of Israeli strike on Iran, 'massive conflict'
8.59am US senator handcuffed at LA press conference
8.40am Health ministers to discuss IVF reforms after string of scandals
8.17am Criminals recruited for country's biggest wind farm
7.50am 'Bodies all around me': Sole survivor of Air India crash speaks
6.50am More than 260 dead in Air India crash
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11.13am
Netanyahu says Israel is targeting 'nuclear scientists' in Iran
By Amber Schultz
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed his country launched 'preemptive strikes' on Iranian military facilities as explosions were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran.
'We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb. We also struck the heart of Iran's ballistic missile program,' Reuters reports Netanyahu as saying.
United States officials have said there was no US assistance or involvement in the operation, but declined to endorse or condemn the attacks.
There was no immediate word on what was struck.
US President Donald Trump is reportedly convening an urgent cabinet meeting.
You can keep up to date with the developments via our dedicated live blog here.
10.54am
$10 million package for Gaza announced
By Amber Schultz
The government has announced a new package of support for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Australia has formed a partnership with the Jordan, providing $5 million to deliver critical medical supplies to the kingdom's field hospitals operating within Gaza, along with $5 million to UNICEF for nutritional support for children.
Speaking in Canberra this morning, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said the situation for the people of Gaza was 'catastrophic'.
'Civilians killed by the thousands, people starving, children going without food and medical supplies. Schools, hospitals, and homes destroyed. I know so many Australians are distressed by the suffering and many Australians are frustrated that we have been unable to move the dial on our own,' she said.
Minister for International Development Dr Anne Aly said the devastation in Gaza was 'unacceptable'.
'All of Gaza is at imminent risk of famine and children under the age of five are the most impacted,' she said.
'The support that we're announcing today equates to roughly 2.9 million rations of nutritional support. That's enough to meet the needs of 8000 children in Gaza for four months.'
The new funding brings Australia's total support to Gaza and Lebanon to $110 million since October 7.
10.45am
Israel-Iran escalation 'alarming': Wong
By Amber Schultz
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong says the government is alarmed about the escalation between Israel and Iran as Israel claims it has begun attacking Iran's capital Tehran.
'This risks further destabilising a region that is already volatile. We call on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that would further exacerbate tensions,' Wong said at a press conference in Canberra.
'We all understand the threat of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program. It represents a threat to international peace and security and we urge the parties to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy.'
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is travelling to Fiji, Canada and the US ahead of the G7 summit that starts in Alberta, canada, on Sunday.
10.22am
Israel claims it has attacked Iran
By Amber Schultz
Explosions have been heard in Iran with Israel claiming it has attacked the country's capital Tehran.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a 'special situation' in Israel. He said its schools would be closed on Friday.
There was no immediate word on what was struck in Iran.
We'll bring you updates as the story develops.
AP
10.09am
Sydney explosion leaves two injured
By Amber Schultz
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In Sydney, a large explosion in the city's west has left two men in hospital, and up to 50 people evacuated from their homes.
About 6.30am a large explosion blew a hole in the wall of the second storey of the three-level Clarence Street unit complex in Lidcombe.
An occupant of the building, a man in his 40s, was found unconscious inside by firefighters. He was taken to Westmead Hospital in a serious condition with burns to his hands and face.
A second man in his 60s was also taken to hospital in a stable condition for smoke inhalation.
The cause of the incident is still under investigation, but police said a gas explosion was a line of inquiry.
9.46am
Trump warns of Israeli strike on Iran, 'massive conflict'
By Amber Schultz
US President Donald Trump says there is a 'chance of massive conflict' in the Middle East, warning that Israel may attack Iran as negotiations over the country's nuclear program continue.
'I don't want to say imminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen,' Trump told reporters on Friday AEST.
'They can't have a nuclear weapon. I prefer the more friendly path,' he said.
The US has evacuated some embassy staff from the Middle East amid the tensions.
Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Danon warned the window for negotiations was almost closed.
'We are very serious when we say that we will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear capabilities,' he said.
'Trump and the administration are trying to negotiate with Iranians … That window is closing very soon.'
9.20am
'Devastating': Albanese receiving updates on Air India disaster
By Amber Schultz
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the government is keeping a close eye on developments in the Air India crash.
'The news of a passenger plane crash in Ahmedabad is absolutely devastating,' he wrote in a post on X.
'In this time of tragedy, Australia's thoughts are with everyone affected. Our government is receiving regular updates and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.'
8.59am
US senator handcuffed at LA press conference
By Amber Schultz
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In Los Angeles, a US senator was dragged out of a room and briefly handcuffed after interrupting a news conference on the Trump administration's immigration raids.
Democratic senator Alex Padilla was manhandled and pushed out of the room by Secret Service agents when he interrupted a press conference being held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying he had 'questions for the secretary'.
California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, posted footage of the incident on social media.
'This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful. Trump and his shock troops are out of control,' he said.
After a quieter day of demonstrations in downtown Los Angeles – the second night of a curfew – police said they made 81 arrests overnight, mostly for failing to disperse.
8.40am
Health ministers to discuss IVF reforms after string of scandals
By Angus Thomson
Australia's health ministers will meet in Melbourne today to discuss reforms for the IVF sector after a second high-profile bungle by fertility giant Monash IVF.
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Health Minister Mark Butler said state and federal governments needed to 'clean up' the sector, addressing gaps in regulation, transparency concerns, and confidence in an industry that now contributes to 20,000 births every year.
'Our third child is an IVF baby. The trust you place in these organisations, these companies, is just extraordinary,' Butler told ABC News Breakfast.
'I want to see families have utter confidence in what has traditionally been one of the safest, highest quality IVF systems on the planet, but clearly something needs to be done here.'
Butler said the sector had traditionally been overseen by state governments, but there was 'clearly a case' for national consistency to address a patchwork of regulations and rules across state borders.
Monash IVF chief executive Michael Knaap stepped down yesterday following a string of scandals, including two embryo mix-ups revealed in recent months.
sensitive patient details were stolen and posted on the dark web in a massive data breach earlier this year.