WA news LIVE: Pilbara security guard receives national bravery award

To overnight news now and a fire has broken out at a furniture factory in Balcatta.

Firefighters were called to the Stratton Place blaze in the suburb’s industrial area around 7.30pm last night.

The huge flames roaring into the night’s sky forced the evacuation of students from a nearby gymnasium and injured a firefighter.

A HAZMAT warning remains in place as potentially dangerous smoke continues to blow in a northerly direction this morning.

Fire investigators have returned to the scene to determine the cause of the blaze.

Meanwhile, another fire has gutted a house in Morley overnight, causing the roof to cave in.

At least one person was treated for smoke inhalation and the next door property was also damaged.

Here’s what’s making news this morning.

• Israel launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, killing more than 400 Palestinians and shattering a ceasefire in place since January with its deadliest bombardment in a 17-month war with Hamas.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to halt airstrikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure but rejected a full and immediate 30-day ceasefire in a lengthy phone call with US President Donald Trump.
• Migrants applying for Australian passports under a Coalition government will be quizzed about their attitudes towards Jewish people, as part of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s citizenship crackdown that includes a possible deportation referendum.
• A collapse in tobacco excise has blown a $31 billion hole in the budget bottom line as new documents reveal the federal Treasury was unprepared for the financial fallout caused by vaping and a surge in black market cigarettes.

Good morning readers, and welcome to our live news blog for Wednesday, March 19.

Well, the dust has (almost) settled on the WA election (the result of which Peter Dutton is adamant he’s not worried about), with the appointment of a new cabinet one among the final items on re-elected Premier Roger Cook’s to-do list.

But, beyond the grand announcements and splitting of the health portfolio, what’s the real story behind what is one of the brashest cabinet reshuffles in decades?

That’s where state political reporter Hamish Hastie comes in, with a succinct run-down of what you need to know about Cook’s new cabinet (and why WA’s reliance on the mining industry is at its core).

Read all about it here.

And in some bad news for West Coast fans, Victorian clubs are already considering what they may need to give up in draft capital to secure Harley Reid if he attempts to leave the Eagles at the end of the season with one year left on his contract.

The 19-year-old from the small Victorian town Tongala is tied to West Coast until the end of 2026 as he was among the first intake of first round selections put on to a mandatory three-year standard contract when he was drafted at the end of 2023.

Thank you for joining us this morning, stay tuned throughout the day as we bring you more news you need to know.