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TRANSCRIPT
- A warning from the US ahead of ceasefire talks in Pakistan
- Singapore rules out restricting fuel exports to Australia
- Australia's hopes of winning a place in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals off to a poor start
Ahead of US-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan this weekend, Iran has demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of its frozen assets.
Meanwhile US Vice-president JD Vance has warned Tehran not to play Washington.
"If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand. If they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive."
Despite a temporary truce, major rifts remain over nuclear enrichment, regional hostilities, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Australian leaders are closely watching the US-Iran talks, with Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles calling them “incredibly important” and calling for a permanent ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
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An Israeli airstrike on Lebanon’s southern city of Nabatiyeh has killed 13 State Security personnel, as the country prepares for ceasefire talks with Israel.
Lebanon’s health ministry says Israeli bombardment has left 357 dead and more than 1,200 wounded, while Israel claims to have killed 180 Hezbollah militants, a claim that has not been verified and that Israel has provided no evidence of.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says the losses are painful but adds they strengthened Lebanon’s resolve to secure a truce, calling for international pressure to stop further attacks.
Despite diplomatic efforts, Hezbollah continued its cross-border rocket fire on Friday, warning that its resistance would persist until Israeli forces fully withdrew from southern Lebanon.
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Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has ruled out restricting fuel exports to Australia in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Anthony Albanese says he and Prime Minister Wong have signed a joint statement to protect mutual energy security and support the flow of fuels and LNG between the countries.
Both leaders have called for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened and say the best way to deal with the energy crisis is together.
Asked if Australia will be prioritised if Singapore does restrict exports, Mr Wong says it won't happen.
WONG: "We do not plan to restrict. We didn’t have to do so even in the darkest days of COVID. And we will not do so during this energy crisis. It’s hypothetical. It won’t happen."
ALBANESE: "The prime minister is just as confident in private as he is in public."
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More than 80 per cent of Australian businesses are facing higher operating costs due to the fuel crisis.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry conducted a survey through its member branches, collecting 2,300 responses.
It found almost 61 per cent of businesses said they were absorbing higher fuel costs rather than passing them on to consumers, and 95 per cent reported some level of impact.
The CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Andrew McKellar, says if the fuel crisis continues, the impacts will be more extensive.
"To date we're not seeing an adverse effect for hiring, for job creation or employment. But if the crisis continues in the months ahead then that could become a serious issue. It is the small and medium-sized businesses that have the greatest difficulty in maintaining viability. The big issue at the moment is the increase in fuel costs. And that is flowing through the supply chain. Even if the crisis is resolved now, we will still see a long tail to this."
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New South Wales roads minister Jenny Aitchison says the Great Western Highway will be shut for over three months while the government deals with structural gaps.
The road, which links Sydney to Central West New South Wales, has been closed at Victoria Pass since cracks were discovered in March.
Originally expected to close for three months, Ms Aitchison now says that could change as the government seeks expert advice to help find a solution.
"We've been able to identify that the causeway has got significant failures underneath the surface. Just to recap, for everyone, it's a 194 year old convict bridge, which is essentially two dry stone walls with fill in between. That fill has deteriorated significantly. There are gaps and voids which have made it unstable and as we saw when we were up there, there's a significant risk of collapse of the causeway."
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To sport and in tennis, Australia's hopes of winning a place in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals is off to the worst possible start with Talia Gibson a shock loser to British teen Mika Stojsavljevic.
Gibson was expected to get the tie at Melbourne's John Cain Arena off to a flying start on Friday for the home side, but lost 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 to the 17-year-old.
World number 56 Gibson took over as Australia's Number 1 following injury to Maya Joint - and arrived at the tie in sparkling form.
With the visitors missing their four best players, the Australians were hot favourites to advance to the Finals in China in September, but that was quickly dismissed by big-serving Stojsavljevic.
