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Mar 31, 2026 - World

Pre-Iran war, and before 2023 Houthi strikes on shipping lanes, ten to 12 per cent of the world's seaborne crude - i.e., between 8.7 and 9.3 million barrels - shipped via the Bab al-Mandab daily.

Mar 31, 2026 - World

After giving a rah-rah speech about the US war on Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was put on the spot by a reporter from the Daily Caller to reassure his MAGA base with rumors of a possible land invasion hanging in the air.Toward the end of his Pentagon press conference, Hegseth was asked by conservative journalist Reagan Reese about the chokehold on oil at the Strait of Hormuz before being pressed with, “Without asking you to comment on things that you can't talk about, what is your message to Americans who love the president and strongly believe in him, but are very worried about this notion of boots on the ground?”After knocking aside questions about the Strait of Hormuz, a slightly baffled Hegseth stated, “I don't understand why the base, which they have already, they understand, wouldn't have faith in his ability to execute on this?”“Look at his track record of pursuing peace through strength, America First outcomes,” he insisted. “And what he's simply saying is exactly true, and I've said from this podium too, we're not going to foreclose any option. You can't fight and win a war if you tell your adversary what you are willing to do or what you are not willing to do –– to include boots on the ground.”"So if we needed to, we could execute those options on behalf of the president of the United States and this department,” he added. “Or maybe we don't have to use them at all. Maybe negotiations work, or maybe there's a different approach. But the point is to be unpredictable in that; certainly not let anybody know what you're willing to do or not do.” - YouTube youtu.be

Mar 31, 2026 - World

Exclusive: the 2026 document is designed to provide ‘scaffolding’ for a long-term Labor governmentGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor’s longstanding opposition to mandatory jail terms has been omitted from the first draft of its new national party platform, after the Albanese government backed minimum sentences on several occasions.An early working draft of the ALP’s updated platform also includes more assertive language on China and seeks to position Australia as an “active middle power” in an increasingly fraught and contested world. Continue reading...

Mar 31, 2026 - World

Defence ministry says US failed to request authorisation in time for parliament to give approval as required by international treatyItaly has denied the use of an airbase in Sicily to US military planes carrying weapons for the war in Iran after the US did not follow the required authorisation procedure.A source at the Italian defence ministry confirmed a report in Corriere della Sera that “some US bombers” had been due to land at Sigonella – one of seven US navy bases in Italy – before heading to the Middle East, but that use of the base had been denied because the US sought authorisation to land only while the aircraft were already en route to Sicily. Continue reading...

Mar 31, 2026 - World

Brittlestars, sea anemones and a catshark among new-to-science species collected during expedition off the Queensland coastGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMarine scientists have discovered more than 110 new fish and invertebrate species in the Coral Sea – a figure they believe could exceed 200 as more are identified.The species were found in waters between 200 metres and 3km deep in the Coral Sea marine park, Australia’s largest marine protected area, which spans nearly 1m sq km to the east of the Great Barrier Reef. Continue reading...