Unprecedented

As treasurer Jim Chalmers weighs ‘extreme uncertainty’, one economic scenario sees global growth plunging to just 2% in 2026Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe International Monetary Fund has warned the US-Israel war on Iran risks creating an “energy crisis of an unprecedented scale” that could tip the global economy towards recession.The grim warning contained in the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook comes as Jim Chalmers prepares to attend the organisation’s spring meetings in Washington DC this week, where he said he would be “joining with other countries continuing to call for an enduring end to the war”. Continue reading...

• President Trump escalated rhetoric against Iran, threatening 'unprecedented force' if Tehran fails to comply with ceasefire terms as the fragile two-week truce entered its second day on April 9, 2026. • Vice President JD Vance will lead a U.S. delegation to Islamabad, Pakistan on Saturday for direct talks with Iranian officials, joined by special envoy Steve Whit and Jared Kushner, aiming to convert the temporary ceasefire into a lasting agreement. • Early cracks are emerging in the ceasefire over disputed terms, Iran's nuclear program, and control of the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian officials signaling the deal could be at risk.

The continental US registered its most abnormally hot month in 132 years of records, according to Noaa data March’s persistent unseasonable heat was so intense that the continental United States registered its most abnormally hot month in 132 years of records, according to federal weather data. And the next year or so looks to turn the dial up on global warmth even more, as some forecasts predict a brewing El Niño will reach super strength.Not only was it the hottest March on record for the US but the amount it was above normal beat any other month in history for the lower 48 states. March’s average temperature of 50.85F(10.47C) was 9.35F (5.19C) above the 20th-century normal for March. Continue reading...

• The Varieties of Democracy Institute at Sweden's Gothenburg University found that Trump's second term is characterized by swift concentration of executive power, suppression of dissent, and targeting of civil rights at a rate comparable to some coups d'état. • The Trump administration is flouting Congress and the judiciary, attacking courts while the Department of Homeland Security openly violates dozens of judicial orders, and has unilaterally reallocated federal funding including a $10 billion gift to the "Board of Peace" without congressional approval. • Republican-controlled Congress has "abdicated its constitutional role" by ceding legislative, fiscal, and oversight powers to the executive branch during 2025, while the administration undoes civil rights achievements and suppresses left-wing dissent.

• Team USA's sled hockey squad won gold at the 2026 Paralympics by capturing the final event of the competition, clinching an unprecedented fifth straight Paralympic title. • The American sled hockey team received their historic gold medals and heard the Star Spangled Banner play following the victory on March 15, 2026. • The achievement represents a dominant run of Paralympic success for the United States in winter sports competition.