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Australia condemns Israel's plans for Lebanon campaign | Evening News Bulletin 25 March 2026

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Australia warns Israel against the occupation of southern Lebanon; The government outlines where fuel is running out across Australia; The latest designs revealed for Brisbane's planned stadium for the 2032 Olympics.


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TRANSCRIPT:

  • Australia warns Israel against the occupation of southern Lebanon;
  • The government outlines where fuel is running out across Australia;
  • The latest designs revealed for Brisbane's planned stadium for the 2032 Olympics.

Australia has warned Israel against occupying parts of Lebanon.

Israel has announced military operations in southern Lebanon to tackle terrorist organisation Hezbollah, a proxy of the Iranian regime, confirming they intend to seize territory up to the Litani River to create what they have described as a "defensive buffer".

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says she raised concerns about Israel's planned occupation in a call with her Israeli counterpart.

She says she also condemned comments by Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich who called for the annexation.

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Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's Social Democrats appear to be headed for their worst election outcome in more than a century.

The party are currently forecast to win 38 seats compared to the 50 they won four years earlier, thanks to concerns over migration and welfare that dampened support for her stance towards Donald Trump's Greenland claims.

Her chances of staying in for a third term are not gone, but coalition talks could take weeks.

Denmark's Moderate party leader, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, has vowed to cooperate from the centre.

"(Denmark) is a small country of six million people in a world of eight billion, which is in upheaval - and there is war in Iran, and there is war in Ukraine - needs to stand together. We are one tribe. We must come together. We must not be divided. We must not be red. We must not be blue. We must work together."

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A man has died in custody in the Northern Territory after allegedly struggling to breathe in the back of a police van.

Police say the man collapsed after being arrested without incident following reports of windows being damaged and a woman being assaulted at a retirement village in Darwin's south.

The formal cause of death is yet to be determined.

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New figures on fuel outages across the nation have been released as the war in the Middle East sends petrol and diesel prices through the roof.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen has outlined the numbers of service stations running on empty to Federal Parliament.

"In New South Wales, there are 187 (stations) with no diesel, and 32 without any stock at all. Queensland figures remain 55 with no diesel, and 35 with no regular unleaded. In Victoria, a 134 with a lack of one or more grades. That's down 28. South Australia, 49 out of 700. Western Australia remains six with a total stock out and four with no diesel out of 771 service stations, Tasmania, it remains my advice, one with no diesel and six with no unleaded."

Fuel monitoring website Motormouth is reporting the average price of diesel has passed $3 for the first time in every capital except Darwin.

Meanwhile fuel companies have been told to release more than 500 million litres of petrol and diesel from their emergency reserves, which is being directed towards regional areas where shortages are most acute.

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Senior government figures have distanced themselves from official advice suggesting a $40 cap at the petrol pump could help tackle critical fuel shortages in parts of Australia.

At current prices, the $40 cap equates to around 16 litres.

The idea has come from a national fuel emergency response manual developed in 2019 and released under freedom of information laws.

Environment Minister Murray Watt says it's not something being considered by the government.

"We will continue to consider what options might be necessary in the future. But I can knock that one on the head: a $40 fuel cap theory or suggestion. Again, what we are encouraging Australians to do is to be sensible about the amount of the fuel that they actually need - and don't buy more than you actually need."

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Violent offenders who show up to their former residence and terrorise their ex-partner will no longer get off on a technicality under new changes to the law in New South Wales.

Women's Minister Jodie Harrison says the government is introducing a bill to penalise perpetrators who break and enter a home where domestic violence victim survivors live, regardless of whether the abuser has their name on a lease or is a joint owner.

"Victims of domestic family violence have absolutely had their life shattered. They deserve to be and to feel safe in their home. That's what this legislation does."

The plan follows a controversial High Court decision in 2023 which ruled in favour of a defendant who kicked in the triple-locked door of his former partner's home and assaulted her.

In a 4-3 decision, the court found the offender had a lawful authority to enter the apartment he was jointly leasing.

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To sport now...

The Queensland government has provided an updated sneak peek of the 2032 Olympic main stadium.

The state government has released an artist's impression of the planned 63,000 seat venue.

Construction will begin in June on the $3.8 billion main stadium, to be built in a central position at inner Brisbane's Victoria Park.


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