The Australian Government has signed a joint statement calling for the immediate end to attacks in the Red Sea, claiming the disruption to trade is threatening innocent lives.
Around fifteen percent of the world's trade passes through the waterway, and vessels linked or destined for Israel have been the target of recent Houthi rebel attacks.
Shipping companies are now redirecting their shipments around the Cape of Good Faith - adding significant costs and time to their journey.
Director of the Freight and Trade Alliance, Paul Zalai, told ABC Radio National about what the blockade means for trade.
"I think what we're going to see, an immediate thing that you will see if you are importing your leather lounges, or your cheeses, or these things, at a minimum you're going to have that extended delay, but you will have increased costs. There'll be surcharges put in for the extra fuel required and we are seeing other fees as well, and increased freight rates. So importers and exporters will definitely be feeling the impact of it, but with the alternate route of going around the Cape of Good Hope, there is an alternate path."
Around 50 Defence Force personnel are expected to arrive in southeast Queensland today to assist in the massive clean-up efforts, following wild weather that hit the area last week.
Rain has finally eased allowing the recovery effort to enter full force, with local SES crew already joined by reinforcements from New South Wales and Victoria.
Queensland Fire Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Kevin Walsh told Channel Nine the cleanup is expected to continue for weeks.
"The good news is today and yesterday the conditions have eased remarkably, and we have some really good conditions coming into the weekend and into the rest of the week. So it gives us a really good opportunity to get on top of the recovery efforts. Pretty much every day since Christmas, we've had storms, torrential rain and flooding, which has obviously impeded our progress. But conditions have eased today, it was good yesterday, and we have good conditions forecast for the rest of the week and into the weekend."
Four people are recovering after being struck by lightning in the Blue Mountains after a storm swept through the area late on Wednesday.
New South Wales Ambulance said paramedics were called to the lookout area in Katoomba, west of Sydney, around 3.15pm to reports of people struck by lightning.
All four visitors were taken to hospital and two women were admitted.
The Bureau of Meteorology had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Blue Mountains, and has warned of the possibility of further storms in the area and large parts of the state’s south and south-east on Thursday.
Blue Mountains mayor Mark Greenhill says he does not have current details on the state of those injured, but believes they did not sustain very serious injuries.
[["I guess the interesting thing about this is just how quickly the storm hit. There was virtually no warning, and as I say, the moment our phones were pinging with the storm alert it was already upon us. very severe, lots of damage to council infrastructure, so I imagine also private infrastructure across the upper Blue Mountains."]]
The death of a teenager in Alice Springs whose body was found on a remote road outside the town on New Year's Day, is being treated as suspicious.
Northern Territory police are investigating after a driver stumbled across the body of the 19-year-old man on Monday [[1 Jan]] east of Alice Springs.
The woman from the nearby Undoolya station found the man lying on an unsealed road about 12.30pm and alerted emergency crews.
The NT police assistant commissioner, Travis Wurst, said the man appeared to be African with a dark complexion and his body had been on the road for a short time.
He said investigators had identified the man and were attempting to contact his family.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.
I am Julien Oeuillet, this is SBS News in Easy English.
