Good morning and welcome to your Monday summary of the key international events from over the weekend.
First, the conflict in the Middle East intensified after Iran launched a new wave of missiles at Israel, targeting fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres in Israel, Al Jazeera reported.
Israel said it attacked Iranian targets, including an oil storage facility in Tehran. Nuclear talks between the United States and Iran were officially cancelled.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News his country launched airstrikes against Iran to prevent “a nuclear holocaust”, CNN reported.
He said his government had intelligence that Iran was months away from developing an initial nuclear weapon. “It was the 12th hour, and we did act. To save ourselves but also … to protect the world from this incendiary regime.”
He said intelligence suggested Iran was working on a secret plan to weaponise uranium.
Earlier, global oil prices rose, with the price of benchmark Brent crude up more than 10%, reaching the highest level since January, before easing back, the BBC reported.
Traders were concerned that the Middle East conflict could disrupt supplies.
US President Donald Trump.
Elsewhere, US President Donald Trump's administration considered expanding its travel ban on citizens from 36 other countries from entering the US, according to an internal State Department document, Reuters reported.
Earlier this month, Trump banned people from 12 countries to protect the US from "foreign terrorists" and other national security threats.
"The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days," the document said.
The targeted countries included Angola, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe.
Elsewhere, Bloomberg reported on Trump’s vast US$45 million military parade in Washington to mark his 79th birthday over the weekend, while protesters in hundreds of cities demonstrated against his use of executive power.
The parade included 6600 soldiers, Abrams tanks, and helicopters. The US Army also marked its 250th anniversary with an all-day event.
Meanwhile, the ABC reported Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will meet Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada this week for a "constructive discussion".
Albanese planned to discuss trade tariffs and the Aukus submarine pact on Tuesday local time.
Bloomberg reported on the opportunity for new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to showcase his hardline on economic and foreign policy.
Carney has already announced higher defence spending in his first months in office by allocating billions of dollars for new military hardware and other items.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
In India, the country’s aviation regulator ordered all locally operated Boeing 787 aircraft to be inspected after the Air India crash that killed 270 people last week, CNBC reported.
The regulator ordered Air India to conduct additional maintenance checks, including electronic engine control tests and engine fuel-related checks. Air India operates 33 Boeing 787 aircraft.
The airline and the government was looking at several aspects of the crash including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down, Reuters reported.
