Australia backs U.S. strike on Iran, urges return to diplomacy
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra supports the U.S. strike on Iran and calls for de-escalation and diplomacy.
Healthscope, Australia’s second-largest private hospital operator, has received 10 non-binding indicative offers as part of a sale process set to conclude within eight to ten weeks, CEO Tino La Spina announced Monday.
The announcement comes after the company was placed into receivership amid mounting financial pressure.
Creditors are seeking to recover an estimated A$1.6 billion ($1.04 billion) in debt, prompting the move to sell the business. Despite the financial turmoil, La Spina emphasized that hospital operations will continue without disruption.
“There will be a change of ownership. Receivers have been appointed to sell off Healthscope hospital assets,” La Spina told reporters at a press conference. “But from the point of view of doctors, nurses, staff, and patients, there's nothing to worry about — it's just business as usual.”
La Spina noted significant buyer interest in acquiring the company as a single, integrated business, raising hopes for a stable transition.
Healthscope operates 37 hospitals nationwide, and the uncertainty surrounding its financial future has drawn concern from both patients and public officials.
At a separate briefing, Health Minister Mark Butler said he had spoken directly with the CEO to seek assurances that patient care will remain unaffected. “I sought an assurance from him that the thousands of Australians who right now have a birth plan or knee reconstruction booked can be confident their procedure will go ahead as planned,” Butler said. “I received that assurance... and I will hold the company and the receivers to that commitment.”
Butler also made it clear that no taxpayer-funded bailout would be provided to rescue the private operator.
The receivership follows a decision by Healthscope’s lenders, who took control from its private equity owner Brookfield. According to La Spina, the “core issues” behind the collapse were excessive secured debt and high rental costs.
To ensure operational continuity during the sale process, Commonwealth Bank of Australia has issued a new A$100 million funding package to support Healthscope under the guidance of receivers McGrathNicol, the company confirmed.
The coming weeks will be critical in determining the fate of one of Australia’s largest private healthcare providers, but for now, officials and company leadership insist that patient care remains secure and uninterrupted.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit was held June 15–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, under Canada’s presidency. Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the meeting around priorities of protecting communities, energy and climate security, the digital transition, and future partnerships.
The USS Nimitz is heading to the Middle East amid tensions between Israel and Iran. The U.S. aircraft carrier has a decades-long history in the region, from the 1979 hostage crisis to modern deployments, often serving as a key asset during periods of rising friction with Iran.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will hold an emergency Board of Governors meeting today after U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra supports the U.S. strike on Iran and calls for de-escalation and diplomacy.
China has condemned the U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, warning it has undermined Washington’s credibility and risks triggering a broader regional crisis.
Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers are urging Congress to limit President Donald Trump’s military actions in Iran, warning against deeper U.S. involvement in the escalating Middle East conflict.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that U.S. strikes hit entrances to tunnels storing part of Iran’s enriched uranium at the Isfahan nuclear site.
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