Private ambulance operators say they injected drugs into fruit as training exercises.

Banks are to benefit from the controversial decision.

The Israeli government has launched a series of attacks on Iranian governmental targets deep inside its capital of Tehran, including the notorious Evin Prison.

Evin Prison is known for holding political activists, journalists, dissidents and foreigners who are often used by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

Australian academic Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a Melbourne-based scholar of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, was held for two years in Evin prison – from 2018 until 2020.

READ MORE: Inside the art of the 'ceasefire' deal



Moore-Gilbert was sentenced to 10 years on espionage charges but was released after the Australian Government intervened with a prisoner swap.

Iranian state television aired black-and-white footage it said was shot inside Evin Prison after the strike, with prisoners under control. 

However, the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Centre for Human Rights in Iran said many families of detainees "have expressed deep concern about the safety and condition of their loved ones" in the prison.

Other sites targeted by Israel include the security headquarters of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guards, Palestine Square, and the paramilitary Basij volunteer corps, which is a part of the Revolutionary Guard.

READ MORE: Qatar reopens airspace but travel disruptions continue for Aussies headed overseas

The Israeli government made clear the strikes were a pointed attack aimed at the Iranian ruling apparatus.

"Viva la libertad!" Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X, with his post showing footage of the Evin prison strike.

In a post on X, Moore-Gilbert wrote: "Every single person who has ever passed under these gates, or has been forced to stand outside them to film the regime's propaganda, will be staring in disbelief at these scenes."

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the Israeli strike on the prison had put two of its citizens in danger.

"The strike targeting Evin Prison in Tehran, put our citizens Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been held for three years, in danger. It is unacceptable," Barrot wrote on X.

"All strikes must stop now to open the way for negotiations and diplomacy."

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A chime sounds. A driver glances down to read the notification on their smartwatch, then looks back at the road.

It only took a few seconds but that distraction may have doubled the risk of a crash, and could cost Australian drivers hundreds or even thousands of dollars in fines depending on where they're caught.

The problem, according to one expert, is that most Australians have no idea they can be penalised for using a smartwatch while driving.

READ MORE: 'Obliterated' or 'quite superficial'? What's really happened to Iran's nuclear sites

Smartwatch ownership has boomed in the last decade but there are currently no specific road rules addressing their use while driving.

Instead, drivers may be penalised for using a smartwatch behind the wheel under distracted driving or mobile phone road rules.

But these rules and the penalties associated vary between states and territories.

In South Australia, drivers caught using a smartwatch while driving may face a $125 fine, while in Tasmania fines can exceed $2000.

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at Google Play.

Iran has retaliated for the US attacks on its nuclear sites by targeting Al Udeid Air Base, a sprawling desert facility in Qatar that serves as a main regional military hub for American forces.

President Donald Trump said in a social media post that no Americans were harmed and "hardly any damage was done".

As of this month, the US military had about 40,000 service members in the Middle East, according to a US official.

READ MORE: Travel chaos after all flights to Middle East suspended, including Qatar stopovers

Many of them are on ships at sea as part of a bolstering of forces as the conflict escalated between Israel and Iran, according to the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations research and policy centre.

Bases in the Middle East have been on heightened alert and taking additional security precautions in anticipation of potential strikes from Iran, while the Pentagon has shifted military aircraft and warships into and around the region during the conflict.

The US has military sites spread across the region, including in Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.

Here's a look at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Al Udeid hosts thousands of service members

The sprawling facility hosts thousands of US service members and serves as a major staging ground for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

At the height of both, Al Udeid housed some 10,000 US troops, and that number dropped to about 8000 as of 2022.

LIVE UPDATES: Trump announces 'complete and total ceasefire' between Iran and Israel

The forward headquarters of the US military's Central Command, Al Udeid is built on a flat stretch of desert about 30km south-west of Qatar's capital, Doha.

Over two decades, the gas-rich Gulf country has spent some $US8 billion ($12 billion) in developing the base, once considered so sensitive that American military officers would say only that it was somewhere "in south-west Asia".

Trump has visited Al Udeid

Trump visited the air base during a trip to the region last month.

It was the first time a sitting US president had travelled to the installation in more than 20 years.

READ MORE: What is the Strait of Hormuz and why is it so significant?

Al Udeid cleared its tarmacs

Last week, ahead of the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Al Udeid saw many of the transport planes, fighter jets and drones typically on its tarmac dispersed.

In a June 18 satellite photo taken by Planet Labs PBC and analysed by The Associated Press, the air base's tarmac had emptied.

The US military has not acknowledged the change, which came after ships off the US Navy's 5th Fleet base in Bahrain also had dispersed.

That's typically a military strategy to ensure your fighting ships and planes aren't destroyed in case of an attack.

Qatar's major international airport has reopened its airspace after dozens of flights heading to the Middle East were diverted or cancelled; however, travel chaos for Australians trying to head to the region for a holiday or stopovers to Europe is ongoing.

Qatar's airspace was closed after attacks on a US air base in the country at 2.45am (AEST), diverting flights from dozens of airlines, including Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad and FlyDubai.

The airline confirmed that while the airspace is now back open, there will be run-on effects, including their flights in and out of Europe, Asia and North America from Australia. 

LIVE UPDATES: Trump announces 'complete and total ceasefire' between Iran and Israel

Several flights headed to Doha from Australia are still being impacted this morning.

Qantas flight QF33 heading to Paris, leaving from Perth, has been turned back to Perth, while flight QF9 from Perth to London has been diverted to Singapore, a spokesperson for the airline confirmed.

Passengers on that flight will be given overnight accommodation until the airline can rebook them.

"Due to airspace closures and congestion through the Middle East resulting in air traffic restrictions, QF9 (Perth-London) has been diverted to Singapore and QF33 (Perth-Paris) is returning to Perth," a spokesperson for Qantas said.

"We continue to monitor airspace availability closely and will alter our schedule as required."We thank our customers for their patience and understanding."

Two Virgin flights operated by Qatar and three Qatar Airways flights from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth have been diverted.

The flights are landing in other countries, including India and Singapore.

Another three flights scheduled to leave from Australian airports to Doha today have been cancelled, including: QR909 (Sydney to Doha, leaving at 8.45pm), QR905 (Melbourne to Doha, leaving at 10.45pm), and QR899 (Brisbane to Doha, leaving at 10.10pm).

CEO of the Australian Travel Industry Association, Dean Long, said impacted flights would be held in other countries until it is safe to leave.

"Those flights will be held in those countries for as long as it needs to be to be safe," Long said.

"They'll then be put back on those planes after those crew have been rested and moved to their final destination."

"If you're travelling in the next 24 or 72 hours, do not cancel.

"The airline or your travel agent will be in contact with you if your flight is cancelled.

"If you don't want to travel, you get a full cash refund, and if not, the Airline has the responsibility to put you on another plane to get you to where you need to go to."

Qatar Airlines said that while the airspace is open, significant delays are expected.

"As operations resume, we anticipate significant delays to our flight schedule. We would advise passengers to check qatarairways.com or the Qatar Airways mobile application ahead of travel."

The disruptions are the biggest yet for air traffic in the region.

Qatar Airways runs a massive global operation out of its airport in Doha, connecting more than 170 destinations around the world.

Turkish Airlines suspended services to Gulf destinations, including Dubai, which is home to one of the world's busiest airports.

Other airlines, including Singapore Airlines and British Airways, have also cancelled flights.

Qatar Airways confirmed earlier that its flights had been temporarily suspended due to the closure of its airspace.

"The airline is working closely with government stakeholders and the relevant authorities to support impacted passengers, and will resume operations when the airspace reopens," a spokesperson for the airline said.

"Once usual operations resume, we anticipate significant delays to our flight schedule."

The airline also said it had rescheduled flights for the next few weeks, with some departure times moved to earlier in the day. 

Qatar and Dubai have a massive stake in international travel, becoming two of the biggest hubs for connecting flights to hundreds of destinations.

Dubai is home to Emirates, the world's largest international carrier.

Hamad International Airport in Doha, in the capital of Qatar, is among the 10 largest airports in the world, operating more than 500 flights a day from its namesake carrier.

Together, they handle much of the traffic within the Middle East and are transfer points for long-haul travel between Asia, Europe and North America.

It means certain knock-on effects for the commercial aviation industry.

Air traffic controllers have managed to carve out a safe entry into Dubai in the United Arab Emirates after flights were temporarily suspended to and from the airport.

There is no indication how long the impacts will last. 

9News understands a pilot told passengers that the situation in the region was "very volatile." 

A visitor has damaged a 17th-century painting at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence after stumbling back into it while posing for a photo, the museum said in a statement.

The visitor was visiting the world-famous museum on Saturday when he accidentally damaged a portrait of Tuscan prince Ferdinando de' Medici, which was painted some time around 1695-1700 by Anton Domenico Gabbiani, the museum said on Monday.

In widely circulated security camera footage of the incident, a man can be seen posing in front of the oil painting before leaning back and then quickly jumping up as he realises he touched it.

READ MORE: Tourists break 'delicate' Van Gogh chair covered in crystals

Pictures later published by local media showed a small tear in the painting around the area of the nobleman's ankle.

The visitor, who hasn't been publicly identified, was reported to the authorities. Meanwhile, the painting was removed from the exhibition for repair works, although the museum said the damage was "light" and it will be displayed again soon.

The incident prompted Simone Verde, director of the Uffizi Galleries, to issue a statement condemning "the problem of visitors who come to museums to make memes or take selfies for social media."

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLKvBXfNCfp/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=9774326f-5938-41ba-a5b4-c96e6d3bb855

"We will set very precise limits, preventing behaviours that are not compatible with the sense of our institutions and respect for cultural heritage," he added in a statement sent to CNN.

Museum-goers accidentally damaging exhibits in the pursuit of the perfect photo appears to be an increasing problem for the institutions.

Just last week, a crystal-covered chair inspired by one of Vincent Van Gogh's most famous paintings was seriously damaged when a tourist sat on it while posing for a photograph at a museum in Verona.

In April, a child damaged a huge painting by Mark Rothko, thought to be worth tens of millions of dollars, while visiting a Dutch museum.

Behavioral ecologist Michael Weiss was browsing through new drone footage of the orca pods he studies in the Salish Sea when he spotted one of the killer whales carrying something green in its mouth and noticed an unusual behaviour: Some orcas were rubbing against each other for up to 15 minutes at a time.

At first, Weiss didn't think much of it "because whales do weird things," he said. But more observations yielded similar sights on his drone camera.

"I zoom in, and sure enough, there's clear as day this piece of kelp that they're using to rub on each other."

READ MORE: Bizarre deep-sea spider 'farms' body out to eat

Over the course of just two weeks in 2024, Weiss and his team documented 30 examples of these curious interactions.

They found that the southern resident orcas — a distinct population of killer whales — were detaching strands of bull kelp from the seafloor to roll between their bodies in a behaviour the scientists dubbed "allokelping."

Allokelping could be a form of grooming for skin hygiene, as well as a way to socially bond with other members of the pod, the researchers reported in a new paper published Monday in the journal Current Biology.

The discovery marks the first time cetaceans — marine mammals including whales, dolphins and porpoises — have been observed using an object as a tool to groom.

Across the animal kingdom, using tools is rare, according to behavioural ecologists. But when it does happen, it's often for finding food or attracting mates.

"This is a quite different way of using an object," said Weiss, the study's lead author and research director of the Centre for Whale Research in Washington state.

Allokelping theories

There are two possible reasons behind the allokelping behaviour, Weiss and his team hypothesise.

Hygiene, such as treating or removing dead skin, could be one explanation. Cetaceans often shed dead skin, which helps keep their bodies smooth and aerodynamic. Skin lesions, particularly gray patches, are becoming more prevalent in southern resident orcas, Weiss added, so allokelping might be a way to treat those lesions.

The other hypothesis, Weiss explained, is that allokelping is a way to strengthen social bonds, as the whale pairs seen exhibiting this behaviour were usually close relatives or similar in age.

"These guys are incredibly socially bonded," said Deborah Giles, an orca scientist at the SeaDoc Society who was not involved with the research. This behaviour is fascinating but not entirely surprising, she added.

Orcas are curious and tactile, with brains that are large compared with their body size, Giles explained, adding that some parts of the killer whale brain are more developed than what's seen in humans. Each orca population even has its own dialect.

Cetaceans also have sensitive skin, explained Janet Mann, a behavioural ecologist at Georgetown University who has studied marine mammals for 37 years. Orcas are known to rub on other objects such as smooth-pebble beaches in Canada, or on algal mats. But it's unusual to see two individual killer whales using a tool to seemingly exfoliate each other, she said.

"What (the study) shows is that we know very little about cetacean behaviour in the wild," Mann said.

Allokelping likely wouldn't have been discovered without advances in drone and camera technology, which have opened up "a whole new world" for scientists to better understand cetaceans' complex lifestyles, Mann said.

Historically, whales are observed from shore or from boats, offering a limited perspective of what's happening in the water. But drones offer a bird's-eye view of what marine animals are doing just below the surface. It's likely this population has been allokelping for a while, she said — only now we can see it.

Cultural phenomenon

Orca scientists with drone footage are probably going to be on the lookout for this sort of behaviour now, Giles said.

Killer whales aren't the only cetaceans known to use tools, though. Some bottlenose dolphins have been observed carefully removing and using sponges to scare up prey on the seabed, a sophisticated behaviour that only a small fraction of the population exhibits, said Mann, who has studied the dolphins in Australia's Shark Bay.

Some other bottlenose dolphins use their tails to slap the ground in a circle, creating mud-ring plumes that trap fish. And humpback whales have long used bubble nets to catch prey.

Whether these examples constitute "using tools" is a topic of debate in the scientific community, but regardless, they are all behaviours related to foraging for food. What makes allokelping unique is its potential benefits for skin health and relationships — in other words, it appears to be a cultural practice.

"This idea of allogrooming (with tools) is largely limited to primates, which is what makes it remarkable," said Philippa Brakes, a behavioural ecologist with the nonprofit Whale and Dolphin Conservation who was not involved with the research.

"This kind of feels like a moment in time for cetaceans, because it does prove that you don't necessarily need a thumb to be able to manipulate a tool."

Brakes, who studies social learning and culture in cetaceans, added that this new research "tells us quite a lot about how important culture is for these species."

Each population — in this case, southern resident orcas — has a distinct dialect for communication, specific foraging strategies and now a unique type of tool use.

In a rapidly changing environment, Brakes said, "culture provides a phenomenal way for animals to be able to adapt," as it has for humans.

"It's more reason to ensure that we protect their habitat as well as their behavior," she noted.

A 'completely novel' find

Indeed, southern resident killer whales are critically endangered and federally protected both in the United States and Canada, with a total population of just 74 whales.

And as bull kelp is in decline due to human activities that disrupt the seabed and more frequent heat waves caused by climate change, the overall ecosystem is degrading.

Kelp forests are also critical nursery habitat for juvenile chinook salmon — a key part of killer whales' diet, Giles said. Southern residents have been spending less and less time in the Salish Sea over the years, possibly because of dwindling prey, said Monika Wieland Shields, cofounder and director of the nonprofit Orca Behavior Institute.

"This study makes me wonder if one of the reasons the Southern Residents continue to visit the Salish Sea periodically even during times of low salmon abundance is to engage in allokelping," Shields wrote in an email to CNN.

The research is now leading to new areas of study.

"This cetacean data point is a really important one because it's completely novel," said Dora Biro, an animal cognition researcher at the University of Rochester who was not involved with the study.

Biro, who has mostly studied tool use in wild chimpanzees, added that examples of terrestrial tool use are much more widespread than in aquatic environments. She is now working on a grant proposal with Weiss' team to better understand the purpose of the behavior.

But for Brakes, there doesn't necessarily need to be a purpose: "The objective may just be social bonding, and that would still make it a tool."

An Australian is among 285 people arrested in an Indonesian crackdown on drug trafficking as authorities seized more than half a tonne of various narcotics during a two-month-long nationwide crackdown.

Indonesia is a major hub for drug trafficking in South-East Asia despite having strict drug laws, with convicted smugglers sometimes executed by firing squad.

The head of the National Narcotic Agency, Marthinus Hukom, said the crackdown, launched between April and June across 20 provinces, also uncovered money laundering schemes by two drug syndicates and confiscated assets worth more than 26 billion rupiah (about $2.4 million).

READ MORE: Arrests made after 145 people 'stabbed with syringes' at festival

Thirty-six of the suspects, including 21 women, were paraded in front of reporters, along with confiscated drugs, in their orange prison uniforms and hands handcuffed.

Hukom said the women arrested were mostly housewives.

"I call on Indonesian women to be more vigilant in establishing friendships both in the real world and in cyberspace," he said during a joint press conference with officials from the security affairs ministry and the customs office who took part in the operation.

One of the agency's deputies, Budi Wibowo, said authorities seized 683,885 grams of crystal meth, marijuana, ecstasy, THC, hashish and amphetamines, adding this helped stop them falling into the hands of "more than 1.3 million people".

Wibowo also said that drug syndicates have used various methods to distribute narcotics to users via land and sea transportation or mail services.

The seven foreign nationals were an Australian, an American, two Kazakhs, two Malaysians, and an Indian, Wibowo said.

READ MORE: Australia supports US military strike on Iran, PM says

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug-smuggling hub in part because international drug syndicates target its young population.

In a separate operation, authorities in the province of Riau Island exposed in May two cases of drug smuggling in its waters and seized 2.7 tonnes of crystal methamphetamine and 1.2 tonnes of ketamine, Hukom said Monday.

In 2023, authorities uncovered more than 52,000 of drug cases and confiscated 6.2 tonnes of crystal meth, 1.1 tonnes of marijuana and other types of synthetic narcotics, said Mochammad Hasan of the ministry of security affairs during the press conference.

Hasan said the number increased in 2024 with more than 56,000 cases and confiscated 7.5 tonnes of crystal meth and 3.3 tonnes of marijuana, with a combine value worth 7.5 trillion rupiah ($711.2 million). Authorities have arrested a total of 27,357 drug suspects by November 2024, he said.

Earlier this month, three British nationals accused of smuggling nearly a kilogram of cocaine into Indonesia were charged in a court on the tourist island of Bali. They face the death penalty under the country's strict drug laws.

About 530 people, including 96 foreigners, are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections' data showed. Indonesia's last executions, of an Indonesian and three foreigners, were carried out in July 2016.

– Reported with Associated Press

Israel hit Iranian government targets in Tehran on Monday in a series of strikes that followed a salvo of missiles and drones fired by Iran at Israel in the wake of the Trump administration's massive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites the day before.

The Israeli military also confirmed it struck roads around Iran's Fordo enrichment facility to obstruct access to the site. The underground site was one of those hit in Sunday's attack by the United States on three nuclear facilities. The Israeli military did not elaborate.

In Tehran attacks, Israel's Defence Ministry said it hit targets that included the notorious Evin Prison in the Iranian capital and the security headquarters of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guards.

READ MORE: 'It is now our turn': The Iran retaliation that could be disastrous

"The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the Israeli home front," the ministry said.

Nuclear fears mount after US strikes

In Vienna, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he expected there to be heavy damage at the Fordo facility already following Sunday's US airstrike there with sophisticated bunker-buster bombs.

"Given the explosive payload utilised … very significant damage … is expected to have occurred," said Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

With the strikes on Sunday on Iranian nuclear sites, the US inserted itself into Israel's war, prompting fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran said the US had crossed "a very big red line" with its risky gambit to strike the three sites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.

Several Iranian officials, including Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, have claimed Iran removed nuclear material from targeted sites ahead of time.

READ MORE: Iranian ambassador says US military bases could be targeted after strikes

Grossi told the IAEA board of governors on Monday that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had informed him on June 13 that Iran would "adopt special measures to protect nuclear equipment and materials".

"I indicated that any transfer of nuclear material from a safeguarded facility to another location in Iran must be declared," Grossi said, without saying whether Iran had responded.

Israel and Iran press their attacks

Iran described its Monday attack on Israel as a new wave of its Operation "True Promise 3", saying it was targeting the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, according to Iranian state television.

Explosions were also heard in Jerusalem. There were no immediate reports of damage.

In Iran, witnesses reported Israeli airstrikes hit areas around Iran's capital, Tehran, about midday. Iranian state television confirmed one Israeli strike hit the gate of Evin Prison.

The report shared what appeared to be black and white surveillance footage of the strike. The prison is known for holding dual nationals and Westerners often used by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

READ MORE: Australia supports US military strike on Iran, PM says

Evin also has specialised units for political prisoners and those with Western ties, run by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The facility is the target of both US and European Union sanctions.

Earlier on Monday, Iranian General Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of joint staff of armed forces, warned Washington its strikes had given Iranian forces a "free hand " to "act against US interests and its army".

Tens of thousands of American troops are based in the Middle East, many in locations within range of short-range Iranian missiles.

Calls for de-escalation

The US described its Sunday attack on the Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities, as well as the Isfahan nuclear site, as a one-off to take out Iran's nuclear program, but President Donald Trump has warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliates.

Mousavi described the American attacks as violating Iran's sovereignty and being tantamount to invading the country, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

In the wake of the American attacks, calls came from across the globe for de-escalation and the return to diplomacy to try and resolve the conflict.

READ MORE: 'MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN': Trump threat

On Monday, the European Union's top diplomat said the bloc remained "very much focused on the diplomatic solution".

"The concerns of retaliation and this war escalating are huge," Kaja Kallas said at the start of a foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels where Iran has jumped to the top of the agenda.

"Especially closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is something that would be extremely dangerous and not good for anybody," Kallas said, referring to a maritime route crucial for oil transport.

After Sunday's attacks, Iranian officials repeated their longtime threats of possibly closing the key shipping lane.

Iran, which insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only, previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the US, France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief.

But after Trump pulled the US unilaterally out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60 per cent — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent — and restricting access to its nuclear facilities.

As he arrived in Brussels on Monday for a meeting with his EU counterparts, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul renewed calls for Iran to agree again to direct talks with the US but said Europe still had a role to play.

"We already made it very clear to the Iranian side that a real precondition for a settlement to the conflict is that Iran be ready to negotiate directly with the US," he said, while adding that the European group known as the E3 "will contribute what we can".

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was meeting on Monday in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of Iran's key allies.