Innocent parcels caught up in Australia illicit tobacco bust
A Melbourne homeowner says a set of custom kitchen cabinets she ordered from China has been caught up in a crackdown on alleged illicit tobacco and vape imports in Australia. Amy Zhang spent 300,000 yuan, or about $62,000, on the cabinets for her new home, but they have been held in quarantine in Sydney for weeks. She says the delay has left her building work stalled and her site waiting for a delivery that has not yet arrived.The cabinets were shipped on 7 July and were expected to arrive about a month later. Ms Zhang said the goods did reach... [Continue Reading]
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Day News Recap: Iran, Israel and trade tensions dominate as conflicts and shocks spread across regions
Donald Trump renewed his claim over the Strait of Hormuz after posting a map on Truth Social that depicted the strategic waterway as “new American territory”, even as Iran signalled it could keep the route closed and later allowed some Iraqi oil tankers through after Baghdad pressed for access. 🔗 🔗Middle East tensions widened further as Jordan said it had been pulled into the Iran, US and Israel confrontation after missile and drone attacks reached its territory, while Chile announced it would close its embassy in Tehran on 31 August because of security concerns and internal reorganisation. 🔗 🔗Israel and... [Continue Reading]
Breakfast News Recap: Sweden school attack kills girl as Canada readies tariff retaliation and Middle East tensions rise
Swedish police have confirmed that a 17 year old girl was killed in a sword attack at Brinell School in Fagersta, with two boys aged 12 and 17 also involved in the incident. đź”—In North America, Canada has said it will retaliate against the United States in a widening tariff dispute covering steel, dairy and electronics, with Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing new Canadian tariffs from 8 September. đź”— President Donald Trump also said the United States had brought home an American hostage held by ISIS for ten months. đź”—Across the Middle East, Israeli military raids and settler attacks have... [Continue Reading]
Myanmar's Rohingya crisis deepens amid Arakan Army takeover in Rakhine State
A new investigation says Myanmar's civil war is driving fresh abuses against the Rohingya minority in Rakhine State, where the Arakan Army now controls much of the area. The report says Rohingya families have been caught between the Myanmar military and rebel forces, with allegations of forced conscription, targeted attacks and killings. It also says the violence is unfolding in a region that is largely inaccessible to outside observers.The material says more than 150,000 Rohingya have been driven from their homes since the civil war escalated after the 2021 coup, adding to a displacement crisis that began with the military... [Continue Reading]
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The Mirage of the Umbrella: The Shifting Sands of the U.S.-Israel-GCC Alliance
As I sat in a recent debate at the historic Carlton Club in London, listening to Faisal Abbas, the Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, I felt a tangible shift in the room, not because a new fact had been revealed, but because an old illusion had finally lost its last breath. The old-world order has not merely changed, it has evaporated, leaving the Gulf to realize it is no longer watching a distant fire from the safety of marble towers and air-conditioned ministries, but is instead standing directly inside the smoke. The GCC today is caught in a lethal crossfire between... [Continue Reading]


