Australia withdraws embassy officials from Tehran
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Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Political duo share surprise baby news
Melbourne Labor MP Josh Burns and Victorian Animal Justice councillor Georgie Purcell have announced that they're expecting a baby girl due in the new year. The political power couple shared the news in separate posts on social media on Sunday night. 'Georgie and I are so excited to share with you that we're expecting a baby girl in the very first few days of 2026,' Mr Burns wrote. This will be the Macnamara MP's second child, after daughter, Tia, from a former marriage. 'Our little baby already has the most excited and loving big sister in Tia. And she'll have a home full of animals, love, and fun,' he wrote. 'Next year, my team and I will keep working hard for the community we love, but I also plan on being a present and involved dad every step of the way. 'I'm over the moon excited and can't wait for this next chapter with my beautiful partner, Georgie, who I love with all my heart.' Mr Burns and Ms Purcell publicly announced their relationship during Canberra's Midwinter Ball in 2024, with the couple sharing opposing political views. Ms Purcell is a prominent pro-Palestinian activist, while Mr Burns has publicly spoken about his Jewish faith and is vocally pro-Israel. Ms Purcell said it would be a 'vegan pregnancy (and baby),' and said she's been 'feeling good' during the pregnancy. However, she said her auto-immune condition has categorised her pregnancy as 'high-risk,' and this has required weekly hospital visits. 'This is obviously a vegan pregnancy (and baby) and I've been feeling good, which has let me keep pace with sitting weeks, late nights, international travel, community events and the general silliness of this job,' she wrote on Instagram. 'It's weekly hospital visits for the time being, and I am so grateful to the incredibly kind, reassuring and supportive medical care I've been receiving.' She also acknowledged her past abortions, stating that she was 'more grateful than ever before to have had access to choice so that I could do this on my own terms and timeline, and will always fight for everybody to have the same'.
CNN
7 minutes ago
- CNN
US used up about a quarter of its high-end missile interceptors during Israel-Iran war, exposing gap in supplies
The Middle East National security Asia North KoreaFacebookTweetLink Follow The United States blew through about a quarter of its supply of high-end THAAD missile interceptors during Israel's 12-day war with Iran in June, according to two sources familiar with the operation, thwarting attacks at a rate that vastly outpaces production. US forces countered Tehran's barrage of ballistic missiles by firing more than 100 THAADs (short for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) – and possibly as many as 150 – a significant portion of America's stockpile of the advanced air defense system, the sources said. The US has seven THAAD systems, and used two of them in Israel in the conflict. Using so many THAAD interceptors in such a short period exposed a gap in the US missile defense network and depleted a costly asset at a moment when American public support for Israeli defense has reached historic lows. Former US defense officials and missile experts told CNN that the rapid drawdown has also raised concerns about America's global security posture and ability to regenerate supplies at speed. Last year, the US produced only 11 new THAAD interceptors and is expected to receive just 12 more this fiscal year, according to the 2026 budget estimates from the Department of Defense. In response to questions regarding the US's THAAD stockpile and the expenditure of interceptors during the 12-day conflict, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said the US military 'is the strongest it has even been and has everything it needs to conduct any mission anywhere, anytime, all around the world. If you need further proof, look no further than Operation Midnight Hammer and the total obliteration of Iran's nuclear capabilities.' CNN reported that an early intelligence assessment determined the US' strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities last month did not destroy the core components of the country's nuclear program and likely only set it back by months. The US administration dismissed the assessment, and the CIA later said it had evidence Iran's nuclear program was 'severely damaged.' A defense official declined to provide information on the THAAD inventory due to operational security concerns, but said the Defense Department 'remains postured to respond to any threat.' The number of THAADs spent in the 12-day war was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Despite the heavy use of THAADs during the 12-day war to help fend off Tehran's assault last month, dozens of Iranian missiles still struck Israel. THAAD is a mobile system that can engage and destroy short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere during their final phase of flight. Each battery is operated by 95 American soldiers, armed with six launchers, and 48 interceptors. The interceptors are manufactured by Lockheed Martin and cost roughly $12.7 million, according to the 2025 Missile Defense Agency budget. The US plans to acquire 37 THAAD interceptors next year, according to the 2026 Department of defense budget estimates, financed partially by the latest addition to President Donald Trump's so-called 'big, beautiful bill.' A defense official said the 2026 budget 'prioritizes funding in the defense industrial base, a core strategic asset that provides and sustains our military's technology, equipment, and supplies.' 'The budget includes an additional $1.3 billion for industrial based supply chain improvements, and an additional $2.5 billion for missiles and munitions production expansion,' the official said. 'The Department's role is to ensure that the President is armed with the best possible military options for any scenario – and all options remain on the table.' But experts and former defense officials warn that supplies need to be ramped up significantly to deal with the shortfall. 'It is important to recognize the level of commitment and the level of expenditure here in defense of Israel is significant,' said a missile defense expert who has been tracking the US government's expenditure. 'The reports about THAAD expenditure are concerning. This is not the sort of thing that the US can afford to continue to do on and on,' he added. 'It was a major commitment to our Israeli ally, but missile defense interceptor capacity is definitely a concern, and THAAD is a very scarce resource.' A senior retired US army officer who asked not to be named said around 25% of THAAD's total inventory was used by US forces in Israel participating in the war effort. 'The (Department of Defense) is looking at wartime stockage levels of critical munitions and attempting to significantly increase annual production capacity, an effort that is long overdue,' the source said. US interceptor stockpile concerns preceded the 12-day war, according to four former senior US defense officials who say that the problem is most acute in inventories of high-end interceptors that are a key part of deterrence against China. 'What I can say without giving any numbers is I was surprised at how low some of the levels of readiness were,' said one former defense official who left his post in the last year. 'Stockpiles are dropping. We need more. We need them faster than they are being built,' said the same ex-official. 'This is a concern. It was a concern during the Biden administration. I'm sure it's a concern now during the Trump administration,' one former senior Biden defense official said. 'Air defense is relevant in all of the major theaters right now. And there's not enough systems. There's not enough interceptors. There's not enough production and there are not enough people working on it,' said Mara Karlin, former US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities under Biden. 'You have the challenge of something being both incredibly relevant and also there's a dearth of them,' she added. There are nine active THAAD batteries globally, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The US military has seven of those and plans to have an eighth active by 2025, according to the Congressional Research Service. Data available in 2019 showed that five of the US' THAADs were stationed at bases in Texas, one in Guam and one in South Korea; by last year, the Pentagon had moved two of those batteries to the Middle East to protect Israel. Two others were delivered to the United Arab Emirates and have been used to intercept Houthi militant ballistic missiles. While most of Iran's missiles were downed by Israeli and US air defenses, experts, open-source data and video from the ground reviewed by CNN showed that dozens did manage to get through. Tehran's success rate rose as the war raged on, amounting to some of the worst damage Israel has seen in decades. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Iran fired over 500 long-range ballistic missiles, and it was able to intercept around 86% of those – with 36 Iranian missiles striking built-up areas. Major cities like Tel Aviv suffered extensive damage, whole apartment buildings were destroyed, sensitive military sites targeted, parts of the power grid were taken out and 29 people were killed. Israel's tax authority estimated in late June that the war would cost the country at least $1.8 billion in damage, but with claims still yet to be filed that number was expected to rise. Analysis conducted by DC-based think tank Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) estimated that THAADs – alongside Israel's Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 interceptors – downed 201 of Iran's 574 missiles, with 57 hitting populated areas. The report estimated that the US' THAAD system accounted for almost half of all interceptions, indicating that Israel's Arrow interceptor stockpiles were insufficient. Israel's Iron Dome system was designed to deflect shorter-range rockets than those being fired by Iran. 'After burning through a large portion of their available interceptors, the United States and Israel both face an urgent need to replenish stockpiles and sharply increase production rates,' Ari Cicurel, author of the report, wrote, estimating that it would take three to eight years to replenish at current production rates. According to data compiled by JINSA, interception rates lagged as the war wore on. Only 8% of Iranian missiles penetrated defenses in the first week of the war. That doubled to 16% in the second half of the conflict and eventually culminated at 25% on the final day of the war before the ceasefire. Analysts say there are several possible reasons for the trend, including an Iranian shift of focus from military targets to populated urban areas, where interception is less robust. Iran also fired more sophisticated missiles as the war progressed. '(Iran) increasingly employed more advanced systems,' said Mora Deitch, head of the data analytics center at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). 'These included newer missiles with multiple warheads or decoys, which may individually cause less damage but can overwhelm and saturate air defense systems.' Deitch also suggests that Israel may have deliberately relaxed its interception rate. 'Israel's air defense policy may have evolved over time to accommodate a protracted engagement with Iran,' said Deitch. 'What appears as a decline in interception effectiveness might instead reflect a deliberate shift in strategy rather than a technological shortfall.' Still missile defense analysts say they saw clear signs of air defense depletion. 'The presence of the THAAD battery in the first place suggests that the Israelis don't have a super deep interceptor magazine,' said Sam Lair, research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS). Lair published analysis of interceptors seen in a series of social media video taken by a Jordanian photographer, Zaid Abbadi, from his rooftop in an Amman suburb as the missiles flew overhead. Lair counted 39 THAAD among 82 advanced interceptors in the sample, which consisted of sporadically recorded night-time recording. CNN was able to verify the THAAD tally from the videos. Over half a dozen experts say the number represents a very conservative baseline. Drawing on calculations about publicly available data on batteries, interceptor reloads, and the number of Iranian ballistic missiles fired, experts believe that the US military fired at least 80 THAAD interceptors. 'The 12-day war in June of this year essentially saw the first significant expenditure of THAAD interceptors,' said Timur Kadyshev, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg. 'Israel was relatively successful in defending (with the US assistance) against unsophisticated Iranian missiles – at the cost of depleting available arsenals of interceptors.' The problem for the US is especially acute in the Indo-Pacific where China has tried to keep the US navy at arm's length, experts say. 'From a narrowly military standpoint, the Chinese are absolutely the winners in that these last almost two years in the Middle East have seen the US expend pretty substantial amounts of capabilities that the American defense industrial base will find pretty hard to replace,' said Sidharth Kaushal, senior research fellow at Royal United Services Institute. Ex-defense officials said dwindling defensive capabilities in the Indo-Pacific was a growing concern for the former administration of President Joe Biden as they used the US stockpile to battle Yemen's Houthi rebels. 'God forbid there should be a conflict in the Pacific, for example, then it really will put a huge strain our missile capacity and the ability for our military to have the munitions necessary to keep up,' said one former senior Biden administration defense official with direct knowledge of the US campaign against the Houthis. 'You have to make choices,' said Jennifer Kavanagh, senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities. 'The Biden administration also should have thought about these trade-offs, but they were able to shrug them off because it was early in these wars… stockpiles were still deep enough that they could turn a blind eye to it.' 'But the Trump administration now is getting to a point where they're not going to be able to ignore the trade-offs.' CNN's Haley Britzky contributed to this report.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
UK makes strong war pledge to Australia, Virgin Australia plane in tarmac collision, state cops 'wettest day of year'
Hello and welcome to Yahoo's live news blog this Monday. The UK's Defence Secretary John Healey says the UK is "ready to fight" alongside Australia if war was to break out in the Indo-Pacific. Healey was pressed on whether British forces would step in if China attempted to forcibly reunite Taiwan with the mainland, and offered a telling insight on the UK's position despite Canberra's reluctance to commit to possible conflict. A Virgin Australia plane has been damaged in a collision on the tarmac at Melbourne Airport. Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day. UK's big war call on visit to Australia The UK's defence secretary has suggested Australia will join the UK in conflict if China attempts to forcibly reunite Taiwan with the mainland. Pressed on what the UK would do to help Taiwan in such a scenario, Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK would go to war if needs be. 'If we have to fight, as we have done in the past, Australia and the UK are nations that will fight together. We exercise together and by exercising together and being more ready to fight, we deter better together," he said on Sunday alongside Defence Minister Richard Marles in Darwin. It was a statement of clear intent from Healey and one the Albanese government has avoided making in relation to Taiwan. Marles did not express any intent from Australia to go to war in the region and once again reiterated Labor's position that Australia respects the current status quo. It comes after the Trump administration ramped up pressure on allies to make their positions clear if a war was to develop in the Indo-Pacific. Virgin Australia plane damaged in airport collision A Virgin Australia aeroplane has collided with a vehicle during a ground transfer at a major Melbourne airport. The Virgin Australia Boeing 737 was being towed to the hangar for maintenance at Melbourne Airport in Tullamarine on Sunday night. During the tow, the aircraft became disconnected from the tug vehicle, causing the two to collide. The tug hit the side of the plane, causing a large tear in the side of the aircraft. Crews were on the scene attempting to patch the impacted aircraft. 'The aircraft was being towed to the maintenance hangar, so there were no passengers on board,' a Melbourne Airport spokesman told NewsWire. 'An investigation is under way, and the relevant authorities have been notified.' A Virgin spokesman confirmed the collision would not impact the airline's flight schedule for Monday. - NewsWire Fears popular phone could catch fire An urgent update has been pushed to a range of Google phones due to the risk they could overheat and even cause fires. Product Safety Australia (PSA) said incidents involving Google Pixel 6a devices have resulted in 'serious burn injuries'. A mandatory update has been pushed to a number of phones to reduce the risk, and devices only need to be updated rather than returned. Owners of a Chalk, Sage or Charcoal coloured Pixel 6a device sold between June 16, 2022 and April 10, 2025 is likely to observe the fault, which PSA said can 'pose a risk of fire and/or burns to a user'. Read more here. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The UK's defence secretary has suggested Australia will join the UK in conflict if China attempts to forcibly reunite Taiwan with the mainland. Pressed on what the UK would do to help Taiwan in such a scenario, Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK would go to war if needs be. 'If we have to fight, as we have done in the past, Australia and the UK are nations that will fight together. We exercise together and by exercising together and being more ready to fight, we deter better together," he said on Sunday alongside Defence Minister Richard Marles in Darwin. It was a statement of clear intent from Healey and one the Albanese government has avoided making in relation to Taiwan. Marles did not express any intent from Australia to go to war in the region and once again reiterated Labor's position that Australia respects the current status quo. It comes after the Trump administration ramped up pressure on allies to make their positions clear if a war was to develop in the Indo-Pacific. Virgin Australia plane damaged in airport collision A Virgin Australia aeroplane has collided with a vehicle during a ground transfer at a major Melbourne airport. The Virgin Australia Boeing 737 was being towed to the hangar for maintenance at Melbourne Airport in Tullamarine on Sunday night. During the tow, the aircraft became disconnected from the tug vehicle, causing the two to collide. The tug hit the side of the plane, causing a large tear in the side of the aircraft. Crews were on the scene attempting to patch the impacted aircraft. 'The aircraft was being towed to the maintenance hangar, so there were no passengers on board,' a Melbourne Airport spokesman told NewsWire. 'An investigation is under way, and the relevant authorities have been notified.' A Virgin spokesman confirmed the collision would not impact the airline's flight schedule for Monday. - NewsWire A Virgin Australia aeroplane has collided with a vehicle during a ground transfer at a major Melbourne airport. The Virgin Australia Boeing 737 was being towed to the hangar for maintenance at Melbourne Airport in Tullamarine on Sunday night. During the tow, the aircraft became disconnected from the tug vehicle, causing the two to collide. The tug hit the side of the plane, causing a large tear in the side of the aircraft. Crews were on the scene attempting to patch the impacted aircraft. 'The aircraft was being towed to the maintenance hangar, so there were no passengers on board,' a Melbourne Airport spokesman told NewsWire. 'An investigation is under way, and the relevant authorities have been notified.' A Virgin spokesman confirmed the collision would not impact the airline's flight schedule for Monday. - NewsWire Fears popular phone could catch fire An urgent update has been pushed to a range of Google phones due to the risk they could overheat and even cause fires. Product Safety Australia (PSA) said incidents involving Google Pixel 6a devices have resulted in 'serious burn injuries'. A mandatory update has been pushed to a number of phones to reduce the risk, and devices only need to be updated rather than returned. Owners of a Chalk, Sage or Charcoal coloured Pixel 6a device sold between June 16, 2022 and April 10, 2025 is likely to observe the fault, which PSA said can 'pose a risk of fire and/or burns to a user'. Read more here. An urgent update has been pushed to a range of Google phones due to the risk they could overheat and even cause fires. Product Safety Australia (PSA) said incidents involving Google Pixel 6a devices have resulted in 'serious burn injuries'. A mandatory update has been pushed to a number of phones to reduce the risk, and devices only need to be updated rather than returned. Owners of a Chalk, Sage or Charcoal coloured Pixel 6a device sold between June 16, 2022 and April 10, 2025 is likely to observe the fault, which PSA said can 'pose a risk of fire and/or burns to a user'. Read more here.
