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TRANSCRIPT:
- The International Energy Agency urges Australia to calm down over fuel supply worries;
- A snap probe called into the grocery supply chain amid fuel price pain;
- Awer Mabil back in the Socceroos setup - and here to help.
The head of the International Energy Agency has declared that Australia's current fuel reserves are not cause for alarm.
Last week, I-E-A member nations released 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves to provide relief in the midst of the current crisis caused by the war in the Middle East, and the Agency also recommended that people work from home to reduce energy use.
Mr Birol has told the National Press Club in Canberra that whilst people should still follow these measures if they can, the situation is not quite as bad as some are making out.
"There is nothing wrong with adapting some of the measures, demand-side measures, we have suggested. It can also help to reduce the economic burden for the pocket, not only preparing for riany days, So, I am not yet terribly worried, unlike some of the papers I have read in this country since yesterday."
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The government has announced a snap inquiry into the grocery supply chain in Australia.
The probe will assess how the Middle East war is impacting the way food is grown and transported around the nation.
It's the third investigation sparked by the war, with an initial inquiry into the effects of high diesel prices to be handed down within one month, while a broader report on other critical agricultural products including fertiliser and pesticides will be delivered by the end of the year.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins says the war in the Middle East was a timely reminder not to be complacent about Australia's supply chains.
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Oil prices have increased after Donald Trump gave Iran a 48-hour ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz - or face the destruction of its power plants.
The global benchmark of brent crude oil has risen to just over $114 a barrel.
The rollercoaster ride of oil prices has taken place amid threats of attacks and retaliation between the US and Iran.
The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, says Mr Trump is serious about his threat.
"The president is not messing around. He stands, unlike his predecessors, he stands by his red lines and he's not going to allow this genocidal regime to hold the world's energy supplies or economies hostage."
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Votes are being counted in Slovenia's election.
The ruling Freedom Movement party, led by Prime Minister Robert Golob, is facing competition from Janez Jansa, a conservative and admirer of Donald Trump.
Neither is projected to win a clear majority in Slovenia's 90-member parliament, meaning small parties will play an influential role in forming a governing coalition.
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Votes are being counted in Slovenia's election.
Votes are being counted in Slovenia's election.
The ruling Freedom Movement party, led by Prime Minister Robert Golob, is facing competition from Janez Jansa, a conservative and admirer of Donald Trump.
Neither is projected to win a clear majority in Slovenia's 90-member parliament, meaning small parties will play an influential role in forming a governing coalition.
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Officials are still preaching caution for residents of Katherine in the Northern Territory, despite signs they've avoided a second wave of flooding caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle.
Teams are in place in case flooding comes again, and a major sandbagging effort has also taken place.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro says even moderate floodwaters can still do quite a bit of damage.
She says it's not time to relax yet.
"We must remain cautious and vigilant. We are not out of the woods yet. But it is expecting to peak to moderate later today. That doesn't mean there will be no impact. So, people in Katherine do need to continue to monitor all of the right advice. Moderate can still make significant impacts- water over roads, it could still create some inundation to buildings."
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to Aunty Rhoda Roberts, saying Australia has lost one of its brightest stars.
A decorated writer, actor, and director- and SBS' elder-in-residence- Ms Roberts died at the weekend, aged 66, of ovarian cancer.
Mr Albanese has told federal parliament that Ms Roberts, a Widjabul-Wia-bal woman, was a tireless advocate for Indigenous Australians in particular.
He says her role in the opening cermeony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney was typical of her enormous contribution in this area.
"She showcased First Nations culture as part of our great welcome to the world. Rhoda captivated and entertained. She informed and inspired. She shaped and advised, never losing sight of an Australia that as even truer to its heart. And she was a mentor to so many."
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To sport and in football news,
Socceroos attacker Awer Mabil says he now sees himself as a mentor to his team mates.
26-year-old Mabil has played for the Socceroos 35 times.
He was in Australia's squad at the last World Cup four years ago, and has now been recalled to the Socceroos for their last two matches on home soil before this year's World Cup.
He says it feels like yesterday that he was only a new boy in the national team.
"I don't know if it's about being a senior player, but, as a person, I'm just open to helping anybody- whether it's an older player, or younger players. because I think now, I've been in Europe for nearly ten years."
