Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts.
TRANSCRIPT:
- Donald Trump declares the price of oil will soon fall after the US attack on Kharg Island;
- More rain predicted as the Northern Territory endures a flood emergency;
- Aryna Sabalenka's winning run continues.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen has reassured Australians that its jet fuel supply is secure, following reports by Bloomberg News that China has decided to curb its exports.
Mr Bowen says there are 37 days worth of supply of petrol, 30 days of diesel and 29 days of jet fuel - and that the government is in talks with Qantas and Virgin over the situation.
"They have fuel on hand for the immediate and foreseeable future, but obviously any impacts from global supply will be something that we very carefully monitor and work with the two the two big airlines, in particular, but all our all our airlines including the smaller ones, to make sure we are as well placed as possible. We're not facing any immediate shortage of jet fuel."
Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan says Chris Bowen needs to specify when more fuel supplies will arrive in Australia.
"What is the plan? There are people, especially in rural and regional Australia, who are now waiting for fuel but he will not provide a timeframe. They need to know when that fuel will arrive. He has been caught asleep at the wheel."
.
United States President Donald Trump says the price of oil will soon fall.
He's made that prediction after saying the US military had destroyed all military targets on Kharg Island which accounts for 90 per cent of Iranian oil exports.
He says oil infrastructure had NOT been struck - but threatened to "reconsider" that decision, if Iran interferes with the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Donald Trump has told Fox News Radio in the United States the world can expect to see the price of oil fall.
TRUMP: "When it's over and I don't think it's going to be long. When it's over, this is going to bounce right back, so fast."
BRIAN KILMEADE: "When are you going to know when it's over?"
TRUMP: "When I feel it. I'll feel it in my bones."
.
Hezbollah's general secretary says the group is prepared for a long confrontation with Israel.
His comments come as Israel says it's killed more than 350 Hezbollah militants since renewed fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed group broke out in Lebanon almost two weeks ago.
In a statement, the military said among those killed are senior Hezbollah operatives as well as prominent commanders of other militant groups.
Hezbollah General Secretary Naim Kassem says there will be no retreat.
"Defeat and surrender is not in our dictionary. We will stay strong on the battlefield regardless of the sacrifices. We are ready until the end. Don’t worry about us. Don’t think that we will retreat because we are hurt. We will not retreat, because our presence is at stake. This is an existential battle, not a limited or simple one."
.
Brazil's imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro is in an intensive care unit after being diagnosed with bronchopneumonia.
The 70-year-old was taken from prison to hospital with a high fever, chills and a drop in oxygen saturation.
His doctors say his condition is serious and he's expected to remain in hospital for at least the next few days.
.
More rain is forecast for the Northern Territory which is dealing with a flood emergency.
Water levels in the Daly River are well above flood levels while in Katherine the threat has eased and residents have started to clean up.
Senior Meterologist Angus Hines says the flood threat is not over.
"There is more rain in the forecast for the next few days so we could see renewed rises as wet weather and stormy weather fall again. And across Katherine and the surrounding areas that feed into that river. We're still seeing major flooding at the Daly River and that is just keeping on climbing. That is turning into a pretty notable flood event."
.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions [[ACTU]] is urging the federal government to provide all Indigenous workers access to cultural and Sorry Business leave.
The council is calling for the National Employment Standards to be updated to provide the extra leave entitlements, and for employment laws to be updated to acknowledge Indigenous kinship structures.
While some workplaces already have these benefits, updating the standards would make them a minimum entitlement for all Indigenous workers.
Indigenous officer at the ACTU Lara Watson has told NITV, the reforms would acknowledge important differences in care responsibilities for First Nations people.
"We have a different term of family in comparison to western society. We have aunties, and uncles, and grandparents that have responsibilities in raising children, we have cultural responsibilities that are for the whole community, so everybody plays their part. It is a family unit in the western sense, so acknowledging kinship acknowledges that family structure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have."
.
To sport and in tennis news,
World number one Aryna Sabalenka has kept her quest for a maiden Indian Wells title alive.
She's defeated 14th seed Linda Noskova 6-3 6-4 to reach her third final in the California desert.
