From the fallout of Israels decapitation campaign to the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, several factors will likely ramp up conflict, says James M Dorsey. 

US President Donald Trumps upending of long-held alliances has made Canada realise that it must engineer new frameworks to survive the disintegration of the world order, says former foreign correspondent Nirmal Ghosh.

Wall Street trimmed losses as energy surged after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said the war could end a lot faster than people think.

After Israel struck Irans South Pars gas field, Tehran retaliated by hitting Gulf energy sites and warned it would show zero restraint if targeted again.

"We have for the first time carried out strikes in northern Iran in the Caspian Sea," said a spokesman for the Israeli military.

China's foreign minister Wang Yi said China and the UK should "consistently take actions conducive to peace".

India's foreign ministry described Iran's latest strikes on energy installations in the Gulf as "deeply disturbing".

Analysts said the targeting of energy production facilities, not just storage depots and transport, is on a different scale.

Shipping conditions through the Strait of Hormuz will not return to what they were before the Middle East war, say Iranian officials.

Beijing has sent a special envoy to the Middle East and said "diplomatic mediation efforts will not cease as long as the conflict continues".

If enacted, the measure could come into force as early as the next academic year in September, bringing significant changes to how France's young people interact online.

Staff at Hobart Airport in Australia's Tasmania discovered the marsupial among toy kangaroos and bears.

Iran has made no efforts to rebuild its nuclear enrichment capability since its programme was obliterated by American attacks last year, wrote the director of US intelligence. 

The outbreak in Kent has been linked to local nightclub Club Chemistry. 

Qatar's foreign ministry has condemned what it called a "brutal Iranian attack targeting Ras Laffan" saying it represented a "direct threat to its national security".

Artificial intelligence has enhanced the speed and scale of war, but this brings serious risks for civilians and military combatants, say academics.

One person was killed after a cable car detached and plunged down a snowy slope at a ski resort in Switzerland, possibly due to strong winds.