From 45m ago Australia not among nations named in Red Sea task force The US defense secretary has announced a new multinational operation to safeguard commerce in the Red Sea as attacks by Iran-backed Yemeni militants forced major shipping companies to reroute, stoking fears of sustained disruptions to global trade. Lloyd Austin, who is on a trip to Bahrain, home to the US navy’s headquarters in the Middle East, said Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain would be involved in the Red Sea security operation.…