US imposes fresh sanctions on Iran on 'economic D Day'; The Netherlands withdraws from next year's Eurovision Song Contest; and in football, an African legend of the game throws his support behind FIFA's embattled president
TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin;
- US imposes fresh sanctions on Iran on 'economic D Day'
- The Netherlands withdraws from next year's Eurovision Song Contest
- And in football, An African legend of the game throws his support behind FIFA's embattled president
Six months into the US war with Iran, Trump Administration Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says new sanctions aim to block all potential sources of revenue for Tehran.
The US Treasury Department says expanded secondary sanctions would target Iran's digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping sectors.
Mr Bessent warned of dire consequences for countries that do not join the campaign.
"Treasury has mapped every node, every facilitator and every network that Iran has used to smuggle oil and evade sanctions. Beginning today, the actions of Treasury and other agencies will tighten the noose and block every potential source of revenue that funds the IRGC and the evil Iranian regime. We are enforcing a zero leakage approach."
The US has maintained sanctions against Iran for decades.
In a statement before the announcement, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, dismissed the Trump administration's threats of an "economic D-Day", calling them an admission of military defeat - and he warned countries against aiding the US.
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New South Wales Premier Chris Minns says he would support extending the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion if more time is needed.
The inquiry is in its final week of public hearings, with its final report due in December.
Liberal MP Julian Leeser has called for the commission to be extended and for senior government figures, including the Prime Minister, to give evidence.
Mr Minns says a short extension would be worthwhile if it helps governments shape their response.
"If we need to go a couple of weeks longer given that most of the expense was spent setting it up that would seem to be money well spent because both the federal and the state government are relying on the recommendations to shape some of our policy."
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The federal government has chosen Henderson, south of Perth, for a major new defence shipbuilding hub.
The precinct will build and maintain warships and support Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS.
The government says the project will support about 10-thousand direct jobs in Western Australia over the next two decades.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says it will also strengthen Australia’s ability to defend itself.
"This is a once in many generations investment not just once in a generation. This will really drive the WA economy but importantly as well it is absolutely essential for the defence of our nation and to our national sovereignty as well by lifting up our resilience and our capability to stand on our own two feet to make an enormous difference through this capability."
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Save the Children says more than one in three Rohingya refugees are expected to face crisis hunger levels this year as conditions in the world's largest refugee settlement worsen.
Nine years after hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled Myanmar, conditions inside the Cox's Bazar refugee camps in Bangladesh are worsening amid dwindling international donations.
Save the Children says food security is expected to get worse for the 1.2 million living in the camps, with 35 per cent already classified as in crisis hunger level or above.
Head of Cox's Bazar Area Office at Save the Children Bangladesh Golam Mostofa says the situation is desperate.
"I was recently in the camps and speaking directly with children and their parents. They told me that they need adequate food, education for their children, safety, better shelters for their family members, and consistent access to clean water. Therefore, Save the Children is calling on the international community and on regional governments, not to forget the Rohingya crisis and these children."
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Dutch state broadcaster Avrotros says it is withdrawing its participation from the Eurovision Song Contest for a second year in a row - in protest over the presence of Israel amid the Gaza war.
The broadcaster has also criticised what it describes as a lack of clear rules for excluding countries involved in military conflicts.
The Netherlands has participated in the song contest 65 times since their debut in 1956, winning five times.
Last year, the Netherlands, Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia all pulled out of the contest over Israel's participation.
Next year's event will be hosted by Bulgaria for the first time, and is set to take place in the Black Sea city of Burgas in May.
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The president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, Samuel Eto’o has defended Gianni Infantino’s now abandoned plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors.
Eto’o - who's a former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker says he does not believe the FIFA president's plan was wrong.
In recent weeks, Infantino has faced immense pressure to step down.
The confederations for Europe's UEFA, Asia's AFC and North and Central America and the Caribbean's, CONCACAF, are reported to be considering bringing a no-confidence vote against him.
In an interview with CNN Sports, Eto’o - who's one of the greatest African players in history - says he believes the criticism against Infantino is unwarranted.
"I don't think that president Gianni Infantino was wrong. I think all these things are happening because of the timing. There's an election coming up where Gianni Infantino is standing. All of this has happened because there is an election coming up."
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