Australian troops safe after drone strikes air base near Dubai as Hastie says rules-based order a ‘fantasyland’ 03. March 2026 (05:50) Liberal MP says rules are irrelevant when Trump acts as an ‘apex opportunist’, following a drone strike at UAE’s Al Minhad airbase where Australian troops are basedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCoalition frontbencher Andrew Hastie has declared anyone who thinks the rules-based order still exists is living in a “fantasyland”, amid an escalating US-Israel war on Iran, and as the government confirmed Australian troops in the region were safe after a weekend drone strike.Australian troops posted at the defence force’s headquarters in the United Arab Emirates are all accounted for after a weekend drone strike, the federal government said, amid the growing conflict sparked by US and Israeli bombings in Iran. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump’s show of force in the Middle East creates a weakness China can exploit 03. March 2026 (05:36) Beijing can again leverage its critical minerals dominance over an increasingly busy US military, as Taiwan slides further down the White House list of prioritiesAs the US and Israel opened a new chapter of chaos in the Middle East, China stands to benefit from a Washington establishment that does not have the political or physical resources to focus on Asia.Officially, China has condemned the attacks. Wang Yi, the foreign minister, called them “unacceptable” and called for a ceasefire, rhetoric that is typical of Beijing in response to Donald Trump’s increasingly erratic foreign policy moves. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police improperly granted Kelly Wilkinson’s estranged husband bail days before he murdered her, inquest hears 03. March 2026 (04:59) Rape allegations meant magistrate should have determined Brian Earl Johnston’s bail, Queensland coroner’s court toldFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKelly Wilkinson was flagged as a high-risk aggrieved person by both Queensland police and a domestic violence service but was murdered by her estranged husband days after he was improperly granted bail, an inquest has heard.Wilkinson had made rape allegations against Brian Earl Johnston which should have been treated as “show cause” offences and have been heard by a magistrate, the inquest heard. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Potts Point shooting: man shot dead by NSW police in Sydney after allegedly assaulting two women 03. March 2026 (04:11) New South Wales police allege man entered inner Sydney apartment complex on Tuesday morningFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man has been shot dead by police in Sydney’s Potts Point after allegedly entering an apartment complex and assaulting two women.New South Wales police said officers from Kings Cross command were called to a unit block on St Neot Avenue in Potts Point at about 10.50am on Tuesday, following reports an armed man had allegedly entered the complex and assaulted two women. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Luke Kornet says Atlanta Hawks’ theme night with strip club Magic City objectifies women 03. March 2026 (03:39) Club is popular with athletes and rappersKornet says night helps objectify womenSan Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet has called on the Atlanta Hawks to abandon their collaboration with a famous strip club.Magic City is an Atlanta institution and been mentioned in a string of hip-hop records, as well as hosting rappers such as Drake, Lil Yachty, Migos, Jack Harlow and Future. It is also popular with athletes: past visitors have included Michael Jordan, while MLS’s Atlanta United celebrated their title at the club in 2018. The club gained widespread attention in 2020 when the Los Angeles Clippers’ Lou Williams visited the club after leaving the NBA’s quarantine bubble during the Covid pandemic. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
China’s Two Sessions to reveal Xi’s economic and defence plans as military purge casts shadow 03. March 2026 (02:44) Top politicians will gather to set growth target with focus on technology self-reliance amid rising US competitionThousands of delegates will arrive in Beijing this week for China’s annual Two Sessions, one of the most important events in the country’s political calendar and a rare opportunity for the global media to see Beijing’s top lawmakers up close.The Two Sessions” are concurrent gatherings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), an advisory body. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Some flights depart Middle East as US urges its citizens to leave region immediately amid travel chaos 03. March 2026 (02:36) Select departures organised as US state department warns Americans to leave on commercial flights ‘due to safety risks’US-Israel war on Iran – live updatesTravellers stranded by a widening war in the Middle East began departing the United Arab Emirates aboard a small number of evacuation flights on Monday, as governments around the world worked to extract their citizens from the region.Airlines Etihad Airways and Emirates, based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and budget carrier FlyDubai said they would operate limited flights, in the wake of the chaos and damaged sparked by Iranian missiles and drones. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US supreme court blocks California privacy protections for trans students 03. March 2026 (02:29) State laws had limited sharing of information with parents about gender identity of trans students in public schoolsThe US supreme court has decided to block a series of California laws that can limit the sharing of information with parents about the gender identity of transgender students in public schools. This ruling marks a victory for parents who challenged these protections on religious and due process grounds.The emergency request was granted on Monday and the decision was made along party lines, with the three liberal justices dissenting. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Live’ chance of interest rate hike at March RBA meeting amid oil price spikes affecting inflation, governor says 03. March 2026 (02:17) Michele Bullock not ‘making a prediction’, but cites rise in oil prices due to attacks on Iran and tight labour market as factors in possible cash rate riseFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Michele Bullock, says there is a “live” chance of a rate hike in two weeks’ time, as the central bank frets that a “prolonged” oil price spike as a result of the attacks on Iran will make it harder to bring inflation under control.Investors and economists had largely discounted the chance of a move at the upcoming board meeting on 16-17 March, believing that the RBA would wait for the next quarterly inflation report before a likely hike in May. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US strikes on Iran triggered by Israel’s plan to launch attack, Rubio says 03. March 2026 (02:15) Democrats disturbed by rationale that Trump ordered pre-emptive strikes out of concern about Tehran retaliationIsrael’s determination to attack Iran and the certainty that US troops would be targeted in response forced the Trump administration to take pre-emptive strikes, secretary of state Marco Rubio said, in a new explanation for Washington’s surprise entry into the conflict.The rationale drew divided reviews from top members of Congress who on Monday evening received the first briefing by the Trump administration since it ordered the air campaign to begin over the weekend. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
