SBS News In Depth

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi forces have declared an immediate maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, threatening to choke off the strategic sea route and further destabilise global energy markets. With US-Iran tensions already at a boiling point, will this latest escalation plunge the Middle East into a broader regional war? Plus, from satire to a massive student uprising, could India’s “Cockroach" movement test Modi’s power? And the post-World Cup baby craze sweeping Peru.

Australia is preparing to introduce a new national emergency warning system, designed to deliver critical alerts faster and more reliably during disasters. Whether it's a bushfire, flood or cyclone, timely warnings can give people precious time to act. Ahead of its first nationwide test, we take a closer look at how it works, what Australians can expect and why some emergency agencies still have concerns about the rollout.

The Australian sharemarket rose 0.3 per cent after investors sat on their hands for two session. Stephanie Youssef speaks with Luke Laretive from Seneca Financial Solutions to go through the day's moves, including another tick higher in the oil price and he's take on AI.

Large parts of Europe are continuing to swelter through heatwave conditions as wildfires burn out of control in multiple countries. The world's fastest-warming continent, Europe is becoming increasingly prone to heatwaves, droughts and destructive wildfires.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis say they're imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, a move that opens a new front against the United States in its war on Iran and widens the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Gulf. Iran wanted the Houthis to close the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea if the U.S. continued to attack Iranian power infrastructure. The US says it will 'take care' of the Houthis. So who are the Houthis? Farea al-Muslimi is a research fellow at Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa program. He's told Reuters they dominate Yemen.