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Mar 14, 2026 - World

This blog has now closed. Follow our Middle East blog hereBoth Pete Hegseth and Dan Caine were asked today about energy secretary Chris Wright’s comments to CNBC on Thursday, where he said that the US Navy cannot escort ships through the strait of Hormuz now but it was “quite likely” that could happen by the end of the month.Gen Caine appeared to agree with Wright’s assessment, calling the waterway a “tactically complex environment”. Continue reading...

Mar 14, 2026 - World

President says forces ‘obliterated’ military targets on Kharg Island and warned its oil infrastructure could be nextMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump said Friday that US forces have “obliterated” military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island and warned that the oil infrastructure there could be next.“For reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island,” Trump wrote on social media. “However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision.” Continue reading...

Mar 14, 2026 - World

Former spy chief says recommendations regarding intelligence agencies shouldn’t wait for royal commission’s final reportGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastImprovements to public safety and intelligence in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack “cannot wait until December”, former spy chief Dennis Richardson has said just days after he sensationally quit the antisemitism royal commission.“You cannot leave matters that go to public safety till the end of the year, particularly when you have a small section of the community living in such fear,” Richardson told an ABC podcast. Continue reading...

Mar 14, 2026 - World

The World Anti-Doping Agency is considering a rule change that could attempt to bar President Donald Trump and other top U.S. officials from attending the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics over a long-running dispute involving unpaid American dues.The Associated Press reported Friday that the proposal is on the agenda for next week’s executive committee meeting and stems from years of tension after the U.S. government withheld funding in protest of the agency’s handling of a string of high-profile doping cases, including one involving Chinese swimmers. “The Associated Press learned of the agenda item through correspondence it obtained between WADA and European officials involved in the agency's decision-making,” according to the news agency’s report. “Two others with knowledge of the agenda confirmed the existence of the rules proposal to AP; they were not authorized to speak publicly about the agenda, which has not been released publicly.”But WADA spokesperson James Fitzgerald said “there is nothing new here,” noting similar discussions about governments withholding funding have been underway since 2020, AP said. If adopted, the rule could also have implications for other international events hosted by the U.S., such as this summer’s World Cup. A draft proposal would apply restrictions to officials from governments that fail to pay dues by a set deadline.“The rule, if passed, would figure to be mostly symbolic, given the limits an international sports federation could have on the president of a country attending an event inside his own borders,” according to AP.Sarah Carter, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said the MAGA administration will continue “to stand firm in our demand for accountability and transparency from WADA to ensure fair competition in sport.”

Mar 14, 2026 - World

A photograph of Britain's former prince Andrew and veteran politician Peter Mandelson sitting in bathrobes alongside late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was unearthed Friday in previously published documents.