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Injecting $1.5bn via petrol subsidies into an inflated economy may change things for the Reserve Bank board at its next meetingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastEconomists will say that what millions of motorists gain in cheaper fuel through the prime minister’s three-month fuel excise cut, they will lose in more expensive mortgages.It may be good politics, but injecting $1.5bn via petrol subsidies into an economy that is already struggling with a resurgent inflationary problem is not going to make the Reserve Bank of Australia’s job any easier. Continue reading...

Anti-authoritarian rallies, taking place in all 50 states plus 16 countries, are expected to be biggest in US historyMillions of Americans are expected to take to the streets on Saturday for the No Kings protests against the Trump administration. More than 3,000 events are planned in all 50 states, plus in 16 countries, according to a coalition of organizers that includes “anti-authoritarian” groups Indivisible and 50501, labor unions and other grassroots organizations.“I would expect March 28 to be the biggest protest in American history,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible. Continue reading...

• The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday, March 26, 2026, to end the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, marking the third such attempt in two months after funding lapsed nearly six weeks ago. • The bill aims to restore operations but faces uncertain prospects in the Senate, unlikely to immediately resolve the prolonged funding crisis affecting border security and immigration enforcement. • This repeated House action underscores deepening partisan divides on federal spending priorities during a critical period for national security infrastructure.

Demonstrations to be held across the US against ICE’s ‘reign of terror’ with flagship event in Minnesota’s Twin CitiesMillions of people are expected to protest the Trump administration at more than 3,000 No Kings events in cities and small towns across the country on Saturday. Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, one of the groups coordinating No Kings, said he expected it to be “the biggest protest in American history”.This will be the third No Kings protest since Trump was re-elected. A flagship event will be held in Minnesota’s Twin Cities – Minneapolis and St Paul – after residents stood up to the surge of federal immigration agents the Trump administration sent into the region earlier this year. In January, agents killed two residents, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were observing Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities. Continue reading...

Musician, AKA Michael Tyler, faces up to 20 years after entering plea in state court outside Baton Rouge, LouisianaThe US rapper Mystikal on Tuesday pleaded guilty to third-degree rape in connection with a case that led to his arrest in 2022.Mystikal – whose given name is Michael Tyler – faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in a state courthouse outside Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to reports from local news outlets WBRZ and WAFB. Continue reading...

• In a Saturday phone call with NBC journalist Kristen Welker, President Trump claimed Iran sought a ceasefire, but Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arashi immediately contradicted the assertion, stating Iran has never requested negotiations or a truce. • US and Israeli forces have intensified bombardment of Iranian cities including Tehran, Hamadan, and Isfahan, with Trump warning of additional strikes; 12 US service members have been killed since the war began February 28. • Reuters reports Trump has ignored attempts by Middle Eastern allies to broker negotiations ending the conflict, while the US State Department warned American citizens to leave Iraq immediately amid ongoing military operations.

• UAE's Fujairah oil port sustained damage during escalating Iran war operations as the conflict enters its third week, with regional oil infrastructure becoming a focal point of military action. • Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arashi denied claims that Iran seeks a ceasefire or negotiations, stating "We are ready to defend ourselves for as long as it takes" and rejecting US overtures for talks. • The damage to critical Gulf oil infrastructure underscores the war's impact on global energy markets and regional stability, with implications for worldwide crude supplies.