Today Updates 17 Mar 2026 - Iran War & RBA Rate Hike

Tuesday 17 March 2026 — Ranjodh Singh covers 17 major stories on Radio Haanji Today Updates on what may be one of the most consequential news days of the year for Australia. The Iran war is escalating on every front: Trump's appeal to allies to protect the Strait of Hormuz has gone unanswered. A drone attack from Iraq has hit Dubai oil tankers. Israeli operations in Lebanon have killed more than 800 people. Ukraine has struck Russia with approximately 250 drones in one of the war's largest single-night attacks. Pakistan and Afghanistan are trading accusations and military strikes. China has called for peace. Cyber attack fears are rising globally. And a Reuters analysis warns that if the Hormuz blockage continues, $500 billion in global trade could be at risk. Here in Australia, the Reserve Bank is expected to announce a 25 basis point interest rate hike at 2:30pm today — the second rise of 2026 — pushing the cash rate to 4.10 per cent and adding pressure to millions of Australian mortgage holders. Scientists are warning about "climate whiplash" as Australians face floods, fires and extreme heat simultaneously. And the Victorian Government has acknowledged liability in the COVID lockdown class action, opening the door to compensation for thousands of businesses. On a brighter note — the 2026 Oscars. Best Picture went to One Battle After Another. Best Actor to Michael B. Jordan. Best Actress to Jessie Buckley. And KPop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Film. Today Updates is Radio Haanji 1674 AM's daily weekday news podcast — free on all platforms. #TodayUpdates #RadioHaanji #PunjabiNews #IranWar #RBADecision #AustraliaNews #Oscars2026 #MichaelBJordan #JessieBuckley #KpopDemonHunters #OneBattleAfterAnother #UkraineDrones #IsraelLebanon #PakistanAfghanistan #CrudeOil #StraitOfHormuz #MelbournePunjabi #SingaporePunjabi #PunjabiPodcast #RadioHaanji1674AM