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TRANSCRIPT:
- Australia secures new fuel supply deals as shortages are felt across the nation;
- The government defends its moves in the Middle East, after criticism from Donald Trump;
- The International Olympics Committee rules on transgender athletes.
The federal government has reassured Australian motorists that there is sufficient supply of petrol, amid reports hundreds of stations across the nation are now without some kind of fuel.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen says six tankers of fuel will arrive between tomorrow [[Sat]] and the 8th of April from China and other countries, replacing six previously cancelled cargo loads that had been bound for Australia.
"I have also been talking to the Malaysian government. I have been very pleased with those conversations. Malaysia has indicated they regard their relationship as a liquid fuel supplier to Australia extremely importantly and they see Australia as a key ally and friend."
Meanwhile in New South Wales fuel companies must now share information about their supplies and sales.
The move, in Australia's most populous state, has been announced today by Environment Minister Penny Sharpe, who says the government wants to be prepared in case emergency powers need to be activated.
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US President Donald Trump has again accused Australia of not doing enough to help with the war in the Middle East.
At a Cabinet Meeting Trump has said Australia was "not great" and he was a "little surprised".
But Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has told Channel 9 there had been no direct call from the U-S for assistance.
"We have been providing an E-7 for the defence of the Gulf states. That was at the request of the UAE. The one request we've had from the United States is to provide support for the gulf states, which is in fact what we are doing. And that is where we see our national interest."
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Lebanon will complain to the U-N Security Council over Israel's bombing attacks in the country's south, which Lebanese state media report as having killed at least five people.
Israel has been targeting Hezbollah militants, after the Iranian backed group fired rockets into Israel in retaliation for strikes that killed Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
United Nations Secretary General spokesman Stephane Dujarric says aid is being supplied to civilians caught up in the conflict.
"Among amid the ongoing escalations, our peacekeeping colleagues at UNIFIL remain on the ground. They continue to monitor, to liaise with the parties and facilitate humanitarian access and protect civilians wherever possible. Peacekeepers, in close coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces have delivered essential supplies, including food, medicine and hygiene kits to civilians who remain living in very precarious conditions, as you can imagine."
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Europe is investigating messaging platform, Snapchat, over concerns it isn't doing enough to protect kids from child predators or recruitment by criminals.
The 27-nation EU’s executive Commission has opened a formal inquiry under the bloc's sweeping rule book known as the Digital Services Act that's designed to protect internet users.
Snapchat requires users to be at least 13 but the EU suspects the company's “age assurance” system is “insufficient” at keeping underage children away.
Snapchat reaches more than 97 million users in the bloc.
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The federal government has hailed a landmark US court ruling that found Meta and Google liable for harm to child users.
Google and Meta were found in two separate US lawsuits to have knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation.
Health Minister Mark Butler has told Channel 7 the cases highlight the concerns the government has always held.
"We know big tech is going to push back against it. We are making sure that the design features that feature in this American case are very clear in our rules. Those things that are deliberately designed to have young people constantly scrolling, constantly checking their social media because they fear they might miss out on stories, are right at the heart of our world-leading legislative ban."
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Driving rain and strong winds have wreaked havoc in multiple states.
While many storm watchers have kept their eyes on the west and the path of Tropical Cyclone Narelle which is due to make landfall tonight, Australia's east coast has been slammed with wild weather too.
Tens of thousands of people lost power in New South Wales late on Thursday, with about 4000 homes still in the dark on Friday morning.
Alpine areas in both Victoria and New South Wales may also experience their first snowstorms for the year, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting blizzard conditions for areas above 1600 metres elevation on Friday.
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To sport now,
The International Olympic Committee [[I-O-C]] has published new guidelines that ban transgender athletes from competing in women's events at the Games.
The Committee says an athlete's status will be determined by a one-time gene-screening process.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry says they believe that is the fairest approach.
"At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it's absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports, it would simply not be safe. Every athlete must be treated with dignity and respect, and athletes will only need to be screened once in their lifetime."
