World
Middle East
A single cigarette can go for $45 in Gaza, and gangs are seeking to profit
A black market for cigarettes is booming in the besieged Gaza Strip, a window into the lawlessness and desperation in the enclave nine months into the war.
- by Miriam Berger and Hajar Harb
Latest
Hamas drops key ceasefire deal demand, renewing hope of progress
Hamas over the weekend appeared to drop its long-standing demand that Israel promise to end the war as part of any ceasefire deal, raising hopes for progress.
- by Jon Gambrell
Opinion
Middle East tensions
Iran’s new president promises bold reform – under the watchful eye of Khamenei
A former heart surgeon has been named the next president of Iran. But his win, a response to growing social discontent, comes with strings attached.
- by Amin Saikal
Israeli strike kills 16 at Gaza school, military says it targeted gunmen
The Israeli military says it took precautions to minimise risk to civilians before it targeted the gunmen’s hideout. Hamas denied its fighters were there.
- by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ramadan Abed
Reformist Pezeshkian wins Iran’s presidential runoff election, besting hardliner Jalili
Supporters of Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon and longtime lawmaker, entered the streets of Tehran and other cities before dawn to celebrate as his lead grew over Saeed Jalili.
- by Jon Gambrell and Amir Vahdat
Updated
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
US sees major ‘breakthrough’ in Israel-Hamas talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US President Joe Biden he has decided to send a delegation to resume stalled negotiations on a hostage release deal with Hamas, their administrations said.
Opinion
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Payman’s exit tells a different story
Senator Fatima Payman’s resignation from the Labor Party is a symptom of the Middle East’s capacity to impose itself on Australian politics, no matter how distant it is.
- by Rodger Shanahan
‘Endless cycle of death and displacement’: Weary Gazans on the move again
An evacuation order by the Israeli military this week covering a third of Gaza came as people are less and less equipped to handle repeated forced displacements.
- by Raja Abdulrahim
Israel signals it will turn on Khan Younis after weeks of hammering Rafah
Streams of civilians trudged on foot after an evacuation order that covered the eastern half of Khan Younis and a large swath of the Gaza Strip’s south-east corner.
- by Mohammad Jahjouh, Samy Magdy and Julia Frankel
Prospect of Israel-Lebanon war has diplomats racing to quell tensions
Iran and Israel traded threats on the weekend of what Iran said would be an “obliterating” war over Hezbollah.
- by Ellen Knickmeyer and Aamer Madhani
‘Deterrence’: US moves ship towards Israel-Lebanon conflict
The USS Wasp has the capability to assist in the evacuation of civilians if full-scale war breaks out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
- by Tara Copp