Former foreign minister Alexander Downer reflects on the 30th anniversary of John Howard's government.  

“We had no idea, of course, how long we would survive, but it was a very exciting night; we had lost in 1993 the so-called ‘unlosable election’,” Mr Downer told Sky News host Chris Kenny.  

“It was really exciting … the thing I would say is, we knew that night exactly what we wanted to do.”

https://www.skynews.com.au/opinion/chris-kenny/really-exciting-30th-anniversary-of-the-howard-government-remembered/

Iran’s top security official has dismissed US President Donald Trump’s threats after he vowed to strike Iran “twenty times harder” if it continues to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks.

Ali Larijani branded Trump’s threats “empty,” writing on Telegram: “Even those greater than you could not eliminate the Iranian nation. Be careful not to be eliminated!” 

A new wave of US-Israeli strikes has killed at least 40 people in Tehran, with the overall civilian death toll in the conflict on the Iranian side exceeding 1,300.

In a high-stakes move that has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, Russian President Vladimir Putin has officially entered the "Oil War," ordering an immediate pivot of Russia's vast energy resources away from Europe.

Speaking as Brent Crude breached $119 per barrel, Putin revealed that the "effective closure" of the Strait of Hormuz has trapped 14 million barrels of oil daily, creating a vacuum that Moscow intends to fill by establishing a permanent foothold in the Asia-Pacific region.

Citing the upcoming April 25 EU sanctions, Putin instructed the Kremlin to "slam the door" early, redirecting all available oil and gas to reliable partners while mandating that state-run energy giants use skyrocketing profits to liquidate domestic bank debts.

The proverb “revenge is a dish best served cold” traces to French (“La vengeance se mange froide”), appearing in English literature by the 19th century. Most Americans do not know the French orign of the proverb… It entered popular culture thanks to Star Trek. In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Khan Noonien Singh delivers the line during a tense video call with Admiral Kirk: 

Ah, Kirk, my old friend… do you know the Klingon proverb? ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold.’ And it is very cold… in space.

Australia claimed impotence over Gaza but is now sending military support to the US-Israel war in the Gulf. Andrew Brown on the hypocrisy of a nation which prides itself on fairness.

This week Australia announced it would help defend the United Arab Emirates from Iranian attack.

A Royal Australian Air Force Wedgetail surveillance aircraft is being sent to the Gulf along with personnel and advanced defensive capabilities as part of a broader effort to help protect regional airspace. 

Trump says US has won ‘but we haven’t won enough’

At a news conference, the US president downplays the spike in oil prices and says the Iran war will eventually result in lower prices.

• US timeline: President Donald Trump gave conflicting answers today about his Iran war strategy. In an interview, he said the war is nearly over but later told House Republicans that “we haven’t won enough.”

Jimmy and comedian, writer and actor Rick Overton light into Jon Stewart for recycling Islamophobic “72 virgin” jokes from the Iraq War era to mock Iran's response to U.S. aggression, accusing him of pushing war propaganda while ignoring critical facts. They detail how Iran only attacked U.S. military bases that were being used to bomb Iran, while Israel is simultaneously attacking Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Lebanon —facts Stewart omits, to paint Iran as irrational.

Pete Hegseth insisted on bringing together the very top brass of all the US military into one room so he could ... lecture them on grooming. And the Warrior Ethos. And then President Trump took over, to give a rambling rant about - well, all the things he usually rants about. Plus a few pointers on using the military within the US against American protestors, and giving permission for the use of lethal force. But mostly it was about anti-woke, and insisting that if they didn't like it, they should resign. In exactly the way that authoritarians through time immemorial have done, but just a lot less competently. Let's discuss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuTCxiM-3C8

1 Oct 2025

Australian personnel aboard a US nuclear submarine during an attack on an Iranian vessel highlight the deeper implications of AUKUS – and the risk of Australia being drawn into American wars.

The AUKUS trilateral pact has cost Australia dear. Over the decades, it will cost the Australian taxpayers well over the projected A$368 billion being assessed by the wonks in Canberra. Nuclear-powered submarines of the Virginia Class may or may not be delivered.

Binoy Kampmark

A congressional committee has voted to summon US Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify about the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The motion to subpoena Bondi was introduced by Nancy Mace, a Republican lawmaker, who accused the justice department of a "cover-up".

Global oil prices have jumped above $110 (£82.74) a barrel and stock markets have slumped as the escalating US-Israeli war with Iran has fuelled fears of prolonged disruption to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran on Sunday named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as Supreme Leader, signalling that a week into the conflict hardliners remain in charge of the country.

Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s slain leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was chosen to succeed him in a decision announced on Monday by the Assembly of Experts. Iran’s clerical body named Mojtaba as the country’s new supreme leader amid ongoing war and US-Israeli airstrikes.

US President Donald Trump has once again threatened Iran, saying the country’s next leader “is not going to last long” without US approval and claiming Tehran must bow to his demands to avoid further conflict.

In spite of a last minute venue cancellation by Adelaide University, a sold-out Adelaide crowd heard from Chris Sidoti, Francesca Albanese, Henry Reynolds and Lana Tatour on lessons and links for Australia on settler colonialism and the Israel/Palestine conflict.

The event was hosted by Association for the Promotion of International Law (APIL).

It’s not okay for grown adults to believe the United States wages wars to promote humanitarian interests and bring freedom and democracy to oppressed populations.

It’s not okay for grown adults to believe that US soldiers fight and die to protect their country and its citizens.

It’s not okay for grown adults to believe US military interventionism in the middle east has anything to do with women’s rights or making life better for women.

It’s not okay for grown adults to believe good things come from the US military attacking middle eastern nations and toppling their governments.

It’s not okay for grown adults to believe the US government tells the truth about its wars and the reasons it wages them.