Key Points
- National Cabinet to reconvene over fuel crisis updates
- United Kingdom imposes laws to make tobacco illegal for under-18-year-olds
- Dean Young elevated to interim head coach of Dragons
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TRANSCRIPT
The global fuel crisis is back on the agenda, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese set to meet state and territory leaders.
It will be the third meeting with premiers and chief ministers since the US and Israel began bombing Iran in late February, which led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a spike in global oil prices.
The planned talks also follow a fire at the Geelong Refinery in Victoria late on Wednesday which cut nearly half of Victoria's petrol production, though Viva Energy expects output to rebound within weeks.
Mr Albanese has told ABC's 7:30 program that Australia's fuel security levels won't change.
"This will have a long tail. I'll be convening National Cabinet again in coming days, not to make any changes to the levels we're on, but once again talk with state and territory colleagues about where we're at. This will have a long tail, this impact. We're engaging with the private sector in particular, and we'll engage, of course, with state and territory colleagues as well."
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Foreign Minister Penny Wong has held talks with her Lebanese and Pakistani counterparts on efforts to secure a Middle East ceasefire, as uncertainty continues around US–Iran negotiations.
Senator Wong spoke overnight with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, focusing on Islamabad’s role in brokering talks and building momentum towards peace.
She says everyone want negotiations to succeed, for the conflict to end, and for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen so that critical supplies can move safely.
The talks come as US President Donald Trump said an extension of a ceasefire with Iran appears unlikely.
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Australia is ordering 30 million dollars’ worth of high-tech drones, which Defence Minister Pat Conroy says are the modern face of warfare.
The drones have been ordered under "Project Syracuse" and will be manufactured by two local companies, including Melbourne business Sypaq.
The announcement follows Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles last week revealing Australia's 2026 Defence Strategy, which will see an additional $14 billion spent on defence by 2030 and an extra $53 billion by 2036.
Defence Minister Pat Conroy says drones and drone defence are crucial, referencing ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East.
"Sypac through Corvo Strike is providing a quadcopter drone, with a war head attached to intercept other drones. And aim, through their fractal system is using a laser. And that laser will be incredibly effective and accurate."
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Treasurer Jim Chalmers says reigning in National Disability Insurance Scheme spending will be key to a savings package ahead of the May budget.
He’s also lowered expectations for an improved budget bottom line as the Iran conflict weighs on the economy.
With oil prices rising amid uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz, Mr Chalmers says the impact, including on jobs, could be severe.
He says the savings plan will differ from earlier expectations.
"The savings package won't be exactly the same as what we would have been contemplating over the summer, but it will be a substantial savings package. And when it comes to changes to revenue, if we take the impacts of this war in the Middle East on the revenue side, it's possible, if we were finalising those forecasts today, that in some years, the revenue impacts would be negative rather than positive."
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The UK has passed landmark legislation to phase out smoking for future generations.
Under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill that is expected to come into force in 2027, anyone born after 2008 will never be able to legally buy tobacco, with the legal eligible age of sale to rise each year.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins says the measure is aimed at protecting young people, reducing long-term illness, and easing pressure on the NHS.
Critics argue it limits personal choice and could be difficult to enforce.
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St George Illawarra Dragons assistant coach Dean Young has been appointed interim head coach after the club parted ways with Shane Flanagan following an 11-game losing streak.
The Dragons briefly went without a head coach before confirming the premiership-winning forward will take charge for the rest of the season.
Chief executive Tim Watsford says Young knows the club inside out and has strong backing from players and staff.
Young’s immediate focus is naming a side for the Dragons’ crucial Anzac Day clash against the Sydney Roosters, as the club looks to avoid its first wooden spoon as a joint venture.
