Nuclear-powered submarine USS Minnesota slips quietly into Darwin Harbour

A US nuclear-powered submarine has pulled into Darwin Harbour, with authorities keeping the high-value vessel under close wraps from the public eye.

On Thursday morning, the USS Minnesota, escorted by a couple of tug boats, was seen passing through Darwin Harbour towards East Arm.

It is understood the USS Minnesota cruised to northern Australia directly from Perth, where it was docked at HMAS Stirling last month.

Last week, the NT Government issued a ‘notice to mariners’, warning local boaties the waters surrounding East Arm Wharf would be closed due to a joint US navy and ADF operation which runs until April 3.

Huge fuel tanks for USA military built unlawfully on Darwin Harbour

Leaked correspondence obtained by the ABC shows 11 fuel tanks built to support US military activities in the Indo-Pacific have been unlawfully constructed on Darwin Harbour.

Despite having an initial completion date of September 2023, the tanks are still not operational due to "water intrusion" in their leak detection system.

ABC has obtained correspondence from February 20, 2024 that shows the tanks were constructed without a building permit — a legal requirement under the Northern Territory Building Act.

The tanks' owner-occupier, US-based company Crowley, says it's working with the Northern Territory government to complete the project in compliance with the law.

Crowley said Project Caymus was issued a development permit in November 2021 "to allow the land to be developed for the project". The development permit, which has also been obtained by the ABC, explicitly notes that it "is not an approval to undertake building work".

Latest rotation of USA Marines arrives in Darwin

Australia has welcomed the 14th rotation of the United States Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) to the Northern Territory, marking another milestone in the long-standing defence partnership between the two nations.

Approximately 2,500 US Marines and sailors will take part in combined training operations with the ADF and regional partners throughout this rotation. The program will see participation in major exercises across Australia and the Indo-Pacific, including Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025.

Talisman Sabre, Australia’s largest military exercise since World War II, will involve participation from 19 nations.

Japanese forces to join USA Marines for military exercises in Australia next year

Defence Minister Richard Marles has hosted his US and Japanese counterparts in Darwin for trilateral discussions on increased military cooperation.

Japanese troops will begin regular deployments in northern Australia as part of military cooperation between the three countries, Mr Marles announced on Sunday.

"Today we are announcing that there will be regular deployments of Japan's amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade to Australia," Mr Marles said at a televised press conference in Darwin.

USA Marine found not guilty of rape in three-day Supreme Court trial

The Darwin jury declared in a unanimous verdict that Mr Long was not guilty to the single charge of having sexual intercourse without consent.

Over the three-day hearing, the jury heard the then 24-year-old had sex with a woman following a boozy pub crawl in Mitchell St in late 2023.

The jury heard the next day the hungover woman initially rejected his sexual advances as she was feeling sick.

However five minutes later, Mr Long again initiated foreplay and they then had sex.

Mr Long rejected the accusation that he was reckless, stating: “It was definitely consensual”.

“Her body language was showing it time and time again,” he said.

Defence Barrister Peter Maley accused the woman of “retrospectively withdrawing consent” saying she had “gone into victim mode”.