Sunrise

Australian mosques in Sydney are holding three-day mourning services for Iran's Supreme Leader, who was killed in joint US and Israeli airstrikes. NSW Premier Chris Minns has condemned the services as atrocious, calling the Ayatollah evil by any objective measure. The debate centres on religious freedom versus concerns about extremism, with differing views on whether mourning a controversial spiritual leader should be permitted and how various world leaders' actions compare.

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Australian mosques in Sydney are holding three-day mourning services for Iran's Supreme Leader, who was killed in joint US and Israeli airstrikes. NSW Premier Chris Minns has condemned the services as atrocious, calling the Ayatollah evil by any objective measure. The debate centres on religious freedom versus concerns about extremism, with differing views on whether mourning a controversial spiritual leader should be permitted and how various world leaders' actions compare.

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The Australian share market responded to escalating Middle East conflict with significant sector movements. Oil prices spiked initially by 13% before settling around 6% higher at $70 USD per barrel, boosting local energy stocks by 5%. Defence and safety assets rose, with gold reaching $5,300 USD per ounce and DroneShield up 10%, while travel stocks including Webjet, Flight Centre and Qantas fell approximately 5% due to airspace closures and route disruptions.

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More than 100,000 Australians are stranded in Middle Eastern transit hubs after airspace closures across the region grounded flights. Travellers are sleeping on airport floors, running low on money and medication, with no evacuation plan currently in place from the federal government. Australian traveller Trina describes being trapped in Qatar after a layover, facing accommodation chaos, running out of heart medication unavailable in the country, and receiving no information from airlines or government authorities.

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The 3rd Doncaster East Scout Group, a 65-year-old organisation with 60 members, provides outdoor leadership programmes for youth focused on resilience and getting children off devices. The group received a $20,000 grant from Westfield Local Heroes to replace old equipment including barbecues, tents and gazebos. Scout leader Daniel, known as Wombat, has served with the group for over a decade and demonstrates pioneering skills including a catapult built by scouts using spars and rope in two and a half hours.

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Nearly one in three Australian credit cardholders have never reviewed their card's interest rate, fees or features, resulting in an estimated $1.6 billion in extra charges annually. Australians collectively owe $19.6 billion in credit card debt attracting interest charges, costing $3.4 billion per year at an average rate of 18.5%. Switching to cards with rates under 10% and zero annual fees could save individual cardholders with $5,000 debt almost $500 annually, with 11 providers currently offering cards with no fees.

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Petrol prices in Australia could increase by 6-10% due to Middle East tensions affecting the Strait of Hormuz, with potential rises of approximately 30 cents per litre if oil increases by $30 per barrel. The price surge may impact inflation, as petroleum products comprise 12% of Australia's CPI basket, with indirect exposure affecting items like synthetic materials and airline tickets. The government's fuel excise of 51 cents per litre could be reduced as a policy response if elevated oil prices persist.

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Iranian missile strikes have hit Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports, forcing major airlines including Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines to suspend flights and reroute around the region. The airspace closures could last from one to two weeks depending on whether Iran's military regime changes or continues launching missiles at Gulf airports. Airlines are using alternate routes through Afghanistan-Georgia or via Saudi Arabia-Egypt, adding approximately 15 minutes to flight times, while thousands of travellers remain stranded without travel insurance coverage for war-related disruptions.

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The United States and Israel have conducted over 2,000 combat sorties against Iranian targets in the first 24 hours of operations, eliminating the Ayatollah and senior Revolutionary Guard leadership while targeting Iran's retaliatory strike capabilities. Iran's national security adviser is now in line to assume interim leadership as Iranian forces threaten retaliation using their remaining ballistic missile and drone capabilities. The conflict poses threats to approximately 40,000 US personnel in the region and Gulf Arab partner nations including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.

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Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong addresses the escalating conflict in the Middle East following retaliatory attacks between Iran and US-Israeli forces. Wong discusses Iran's destabilising influence, the risks of regime change, and Australia's priority to support approximately 115,000 Australians in the region. The government has established a registration portal for citizens in Iran, Israel, Qatar and the UAE, with hopes that commercial flights will resume to facilitate evacuations.

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