Monday briefing: ​How the Cockroach ​protests ​have expose​d the ​cracks in ​India’s government

• President Trump is struggling to find a strategic exit from the conflict with Iran, despite possessing significant military power. • The situation has revealed limits to the president's perceived power, leading to increased frustration and erratic behavior.

• On February 28, 2026, American and Israeli air forces conducted nearly 900 strikes against Iran, resulting in the death of the Iranian Supreme Leader. • In immediate retaliation for the strikes, Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global maritime chokepoint for oil transport.

• The United States has paused airstrikes on Iran following nearly two weeks of continuous bombardment. • Mediators are currently attempting to revive an interim ceasefire, with specific negotiations focusing on easing transit restrictions for vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Federal government touts emergency warning alert test as a success and says no approach works 100% of the timeA blaring emergency warning alert Australians had been warned about was anti-climactic for some – and totally missed by others.Almost every phone in the country, alongside some smartwatches and tablets, was supposed to let off a loud noise at about 2pm AEST and receive a pop-up notification with the text “TEST MESSAGE” and “NO ACTION IS REQUIRED”. Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsYet another company has been picked off London’s stock exchange this morning: DCC Energy has agreed to a £5.75bn takeover by private equity investors KKR and Energy Capital Partners.Shareholders in the FTSE 100 energy distributor will receive £65.25 per share ‌in cash, a proposed ‌final dividend of 147.22p per share, and a potential payment of up ‌to £1.25 per share if DCC can sell its technology unit for at least $800 million.Whilst the DCC Energy Board remains confident in the energy strategy and associated 2030 Ambition announced in 2022, the Board believes the Consortium’s offer represents a compelling opportunity for shareholders to crystallise value in cash at an attractive premium to DCC Energy’s historical trading price.We are confident that the Consortium will be strong stewards of DCC Energy’s 50-year heritage and support the business during its next phase of growth.” Continue reading...

Exclusive: Lawsuit filed on behalf of seven protesters alleges ban amounts to ‘a direct, content-based restriction’ on speech, effectively targeting pro-Palestine movementFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA group of pro-Palestine protesters have launched a high court challenge to a Queensland law banning the slogan “from the river to the sea”, arguing that it amounts to a discriminatory and unconstitutional infringement on free speech.The controversial laws, which also ban the expression “globalise the intifada”, were passed by the state’s Liberal National party government in response to December’s Bondi terrorist attack. Continue reading...

So-called ‘Reformers’ hosted recruitment functions with speakers including Tony Abbott and Alan JonesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSenior politicians in the New South Wales Liberal party supported the work of a group of young conservative power brokers who sought to take control of the party and move it towards the right, the corruption watchdog has heard.The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) began its Operation Rosny hearings into allegations of corruption against people associated with the NSW Liberal party on Monday. Continue reading...

Research shows AI accounts are gaining millions of views on TikTok by spreading dubious health adviceMisleading health claims online pose a “huge danger to public safety”, experts have warned, after research has shown that AI-generated doctors are gaining millions of views on TikTok by spreading dubious health advice.The British Medical Association council deputy chair, Dr Emma Runswick, flagged the risks posed by AI accounts that “peddle medical myths and promote so-called miracle cures”. Continue reading...

Carroll, who has confirmed he will make a leadership challenge, was elected to parliament in 2012 and says he has always been ambitiousIn 2023, when then-public transport minister Ben Carroll failed in his surprising bid to secure the leadership of the Victorian Labor party, he told a press conference: “I was always very keen to rise.”The premier Daniel Andrews had resigned believing he had locked in his succession plan: his loyal deputy Jacinta Allan as premier, and treasurer Tim Pallas as deputy. Continue reading...

BirdLife Australia says discoveries of sick and dead local seabirds in South Australia show outbreak is ‘taking hold’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSouth Australia has reported seven new suspected cases of deadly H5 bird flu, with experts warning it could be a sign the disease has begun spreading through local bird populations.All seven birds are greater crested terns – a common local seabird – and were found on the Limestone Coast in south-eastern SA, with one found at Cape Jaffa, five around Southend Jetty near Beachport and one at Port MacDonald, just over 20km from the Victorian border. Continue reading...

Kumanjayi White died after being restrained by plain-clothes police in the lolly aisle of an Alice Springs supermarket•Warning: This article contains references to Indigenous Australians who have diedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe family of a young Aboriginal man who died after being restrained by police in an Alice Springs supermarket has launched legal action after the officers involved were not prosecuted.Kumanjayi White, 24, died in the Coles supermarket in the Northern Territory city on 27 May, 2025 after two plainclothes police officers held him down in the confectionary aisle, sparking national outrage and rallies calling for an independent investigation. Continue reading...