Floods, power outages and hundreds evacuated as Cyclone Vaianu lashes New Zealand’s North Island

Cyclone crossed coast near Maketu peninsula, packing destructive winds exceeding 130km/h (80 mph), heavy rain and large swells

Cyclone Vaianu made landfall in New Zealand’s North Island on Sunday, triggering floods, power outages and forcing hundreds to evacuate.

The cyclone crossed the coast near the Maketu peninsula, packing destructive winds exceeding 130km/h (80 mph), heavy rain and large swells, national weather provider MetService said, describing Vaianu as a “life-threatening” system.

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Penny Wong calls failed peace talks between US and Iran ‘disappointing’ and urges resumption

Australia’s foreign affairs minister says priority ‘must be to continue the ceasefire and return to negotiations’

Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has urged the US and Iran to continue the ceasefire and return to negotiations quickly, after peace talks failed to secure a deal or the re-opening of the strait of Hormuz.

Historic face-to-face meetings in Pakistan – marking the highest-level of direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in decades – seemingly broke down after a marathon 21-hour first day of talks.

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Iran must not charge tolls in Strait of Hormuz, UN maritime chief says – Al Jazeera

  1. Iran must not charge tolls in Strait of Hormuz, UN maritime chief says  Al Jazeera
  2. Over 100 PH container vessels stuck in Strait of Hormuz  Rappler
  3. 34,000 shipping routes diverted from Hormuz disruption: Report  FreightWaves
  4. Echoes Of The Tanker War: Sailors Recall 1980s Peril As Tensions Flare Again In The Strait Of Hormuz – Analysis  Eurasia Review
  5. Ceasefire talks fail to restore vessel movement in Strait of Hormuz, fate of 599 ships remain inconclusive  BusinessLine
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Two Supertankers U-Turn in Hormuz as US-Iran Talks Break Down – Bloomberg.com

  1. Two Supertankers U-Turn in Hormuz as US-Iran Talks Break Down  Bloomberg.com
  2. Oil tankers steer clear of Hormuz ahead of US blockade  Reuters
  3. Three oil supertankers sail through the Strait of Hormuz  Fortune
  4. Oil tankers exit Strait of Hormuz amid fragile US-Iran ceasefire  Al Jazeera
  5. Cosco VLCCs break through Hormuz even as US-Iran diplomacy falters  Lloyd's List
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South Korea close to securing oil supplies from Kazakhstan, minister says – Reuters

  1. South Korea close to securing oil supplies from Kazakhstan, minister says  Reuters
  2. South Korea asks Gulf nations for steady energy supply, safety of Korean vessels  Yahoo Finance
  3. South Korea to Send Envoy to Iran as Hormuz Remains Blocked  Bloomberg.com
  4. ‘Relief, but no escape yet': Korean seafarers still trapped off Hormuz  The Korea Times
  5. Saudi Arabia agrees to prioritize oil shipments to S. Korea: minister  Japan Wire by Kyodo News
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As Turkey reportedly seeks to jail them, Israeli leaders blast Erdogan for ‘massacring Kurds’ – The Times of Israel

  1. As Turkey reportedly seeks to jail them, Israeli leaders blast Erdogan for ‘massacring Kurds’  The Times of Israel
  2. Erdogan threatens to invade Israel  Yahoo
  3. Turkey Calls Netanyahu 'Hitler of Our Time' in Spat Over Erdogan Remarks  Haaretz
  4. Israel and Turkey trade accusations as tensions widen over Syria and Gaza  Middle East Eye
  5. As Turkey reportedly seeks to imprison him, Netanyahu blasts Erdogan for 'massacring Kurds'  The Times of Israel
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New relief for households being considered as Albanese government warns of ‘long tail’ from Iran war

Catherine King says while peace talks were ‘best chance’ at lowering fuel prices, further help may be included in budget

The Albanese government is contemplating further relief for struggling households and businesses in next month’s federal budget, as peace talks continue between the US and Iran amid a fragile ceasefire.

The infrastructure minister, Catherine King, said the success of those talks was the “best chance” at bringing down fuel prices. But she warned there would be a “long tail” from the crisis even if the strait of Hormuz – which was still being blocked by Iran and strangling global oil supplies – reopened imminently.

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