Cyclone Narelle downgraded to tropical low but severe weather warnings remain for storm-ravaged WA

• The Pentagon is considering deploying up to 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East beyond the 1,500 already mobilized from the 82nd Airborne Division, according to a senior U.S. defense official. • U.S. Central Command reported striking more than 8,000 targets, including over 130 Iranian naval vessels, while Israel confirmed dropping more than 15,000 munitions as part of coordinated Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion campaigns launched on February 28. • U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on March 27 that Washington expects the operation against Iran to conclude "within weeks, not months" and that the U.S. can meet all objectives without using ground troops.

• President Trump extended the strike deadline on Iran's energy sector while warning that failure to accept current negotiation terms would result in "far greater military consequences," according to White House statements. • The White House confirmed ongoing negotiations with Iranian leadership despite military operations continuing at historic levels, with Iranian leadership described by Trump as "desperate to negotiate."

• The U.S. Senate approved a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA operations, but excluding ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection. • The measure addresses impacts from the partial government shutdown, where over 480 TSA officers quit and absences hit 40% at some airports. • President Trump announced plans to sign an executive order for immediate TSA agent payments, separate from the Senate bill.

• Israel launched strikes on central Tehran and warned of expanding its campaign against Iran, which continues firing missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab states, as U.S. strikes persist. • President Trump extended the deadline to April 6 for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, stating talks are 'going very well' after Iran requested a grace period despite public denials. • Israel moved thousands of troops into Lebanon to control the area south of the Litani River, 20 miles north of the border.

• Over 3,000 'No Kings' protests are planned across the U.S. and worldwide on March 28, potentially marking the biggest day of protest in U.S. history against the Trump administration. • Organizers like Leah Greenberg of Indivisible state participants are rallying in every state and county to oppose illegal war abroad and secret police at home. • Protests echo the rallying cry 'In America, we have no kings,' building on prior nationwide demonstrations amid geopolitical tensions.

Decision to choose small, wealthy – but very Catholic – state for first European trip has baffled some Vatican observersPope Leo will travel to Monaco, the semi-enclave famous for casinos and superyachts, on Saturday on his first European trip since being elected pontiff, causing bemusement among some Vatican observers, not least because it comes 488 years after the last papal visit.Leo will travel from the Vatican by helicopter for the one-day trip, and will be greeted at Monaco’s heliport by Prince Albert and his wife, Princess Charlene, before being taken to the palace, which has been the residence of the Grimaldi dynasty since the 13th century. It is the first time a pontiff has visited Monaco since Pope Paul III in 1538. Continue reading...

Fears grow that Tehran may start activating sleeper cells across Middle East as part of war with US and IsraelMiddle East crisis – live updatesGulf countries have raised concerns over the prospect of attacks by Iran-backed militias and proxy armed groups in the region, which they fear could destabilise their regimes and escalate the war in the Middle East.In a joint statement this week, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Jordan condemned Iranian attacks on their soil, both as strikes carried out directly from Iran and “through their proxies and armed factions they support in the region”. Continue reading...

At least 77 people killed in anti-corruption youth uprising in September, which began over a brief social media banNepal’s former prime minister, KP Sharma Oli, was taken into custody on Saturday as police investigate whether he was negligent in failing to prevent dozens of deaths during Gen Z protests last September.This week, a Nepali panel which investigated violence during the anti-corruption protests recommended that Oli, 74, be prosecuted for failing to prevent the crackdown on the protests. Continue reading...

Actor outside Kennedy Center urges Americans to ‘stand tall against authoritarianism’ and resist free-speech threatsThe actor Jane Fonda joined journalists, musicians and writers outside Washington’s John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in urging US citizens to “break your silence” and “stand tall against authoritarianism”.At a damp but defiant rally hosted by Fonda’s Committee for the First Amendment on Friday, around a hundred invited guests gathered to hear speakers and singers rail against book bans, political censorship and other threats to free speech under Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Albanese announces forthcoming legislation to guarantee private sector purchases of fuel and fertiliserThe Australian government will take on the financial risk of importing essential products affected by the war in the Middle East to get additional supplies of petrol, diesel, and fertiliser into the country.The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced the new fuel security powers on Saturday after a month of soaring diesel and petrol prices and widespread shortages at service stations, particularly in regional Australia. Continue reading...

Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany were accused of lying on document used to enter Taylor’s house on night of shootingA federal judge has dismissed charges against two former Louisville police officers accused of falsifying the warrant used to enter Breonna Taylor’s apartment the night police shot her to death.Charles Simpson, a US district judge, issued a one-page ruling on Friday throwing out charges against Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany, two former officers involved in crafting the Taylor warrant. Continue reading...