Stopping Iran’s attack would have forced Israel to use sophisticated – and expensive – defences

Despite launching 180 ballistic missiles, Iran is likely to have wanted to keep most of its stock in case of a full-blown war with Israel

Iran’s decision to launch about 180 high-speed ballistic missiles at Israel indicates that Tehran sought to inflict serious damage in Tuesday’s night attack, unlike the well-telegraphed drone and missile attack in April.

Their sheer speed makes ballistic weapons challenging to intercept, but the initial reports of no fatalities within Israel and one in the West Bank would suggest despite the numbers of missiles launched it was a military failure, though some of the weapons or fragments appear to have struck the ground.

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Missile attack on Israel signals that widely feared regional conflict has ignited

As forces of restraint in the Middle East weaken with every passing day, Israeli officials declare Iranian attack a declaration of war

The sight of missiles descending on Tel Aviv on Tuesday night was the clearest sign imaginable that the regional conflict so widely feared over the past year may finally have ignited.

This is the second Iranian aerial attack on Israel in less than six months, but last time there was several days’ notice; the much slower drones and cruise missiles arrived first, and the principal target was a military base in the underpopulated Negev desert.

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Six killed and 10 wounded in shooting and knife attack in Israeli city of Jaffa

Two men reportedly opened fire and stabbed people on train and in nearby street before being shot dead

Six people were killed and 10 wounded in a shooting and knife attack on the Israeli seaside city of Jaffa that occurred minutes before Iran launched a huge missile attack on Israel. Five of the wounded were described as being in a serious condition.

CCTV footage showed two men, reportedly armed with an assault rifle and a knife, dressed in black emerging from a train near the light-rail stop along Jerusalem Boulevard where they opened fire on passersby as well as on a second nearby street.

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Financial markets could still avoid panic amid oil price risk in Middle East crisis

Oil prices rose by more than 4% as Israeli troops moved into Lebanon and Iran launched missiles on Israel

As Israeli troops moved into Lebanon and Iran launched a missile attack on Israel, the risk of a jump in oil prices that could trigger another global inflation shock appeared to be materialising.

Oil prices rose by more than 4% to about $75 a barrel on Tuesday.

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Wim Hof biopic on hold after claims of domestic abuse against cold water guru

‘Iceman’ files for defamation after allegations he subjected former partner and children to physical and verbal abuse

A biopic of the Dutch extreme athlete and wellness guru Wim Hof has been put on hold after allegations of domestic violence against the man who calls himself “the Iceman” emerged in the Dutch media over the weekend.

A report published in de Volkskrant newspaper on Saturday claimed the 65-year-old had subjected his former partner, their son and her two children from a previous marriage to physical and verbal abuse over a period of 13 years.

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Irish finance minister calls €14bn tax windfall from Apple ‘transformational’

Jack Chambers says money will be used on infrastructure, not giveaways, as he reveals government budget

The Irish finance minister has hailed the €14bn tax windfall from Apple as “transformational” just weeks after the government lost a case in the European court of justice arguing the tech company should keep its money.

Unveiling the country’s budget on Tuesday, Jack Chambers said the money would be used on infrastructure and not splurged on giveaways before the general election, which is expected in November.

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