US President Donald Trump addresses White House Correspondents' dinner; Fuel supplies remain secure for Australians despite Mideast unrest; Slovenian four-times champion Tadej Pogacar has claimed victory on stage 19 of the Tour de France.
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TRANSCRIPT
- US President Donald Trump addresses White House correspondents' dinner.
- Fuel supplies remain secure for Australians despite Mideast unrest.
- Slovenian four-times champion Tadej Pogacar has claimed victory on stage 19 of the Tour de France.
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United States President Donald Trump has addressed a roomful of journalists at a correspondents' dinner rescheduled from April after an assassination attempt upended the first edition.
In his speech at the White House Correspondent dinner on Friday local time, US president Donald Trump confirmed that talks between Iran and the US are continuing about ways to end the war in Middle East.
Mr Trump tells reporters that he's willing to listen to Iran, but it can never own a nuclear weapon.
"They are talking to us right now, they'd love to make a deal, I don't think they are ready to, I don't think it's time yet, but I'm willing to listen, but they cannot have a nuclear weapon, we don't wanna see Washington DC or anywhere says who are Israel or frankly the Middle East destroyed with a nuclear weapon, because I know the power of nuclear weapons, I see it, I get to see it, not gonna let that happen."
The new dinner comes during a time of fast-increasing tension between the media and a president who, in his second term, has tried to exert pressure on media outlets he is unhappy with in a variety of ways including through sanctions and lawsuits.
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Labor backbencher MP Ed Husic has criticised his party's national conference for what he says is a lack of discussion on Israel and Palestine.
On the last day of the conference, Mr Husic tried to move an amendment to the party's platform to introduce stronger criticism of Israel, however, the motion wasn't seconded, effectively blocking the debate from proceeding following a push from factional leaders.
Speaking outside the convention centre in Adelaide, Mr Husic says not being able to debate the draft position placed in the policy platform was unhealthy for the party.
"We need to stand up, we need to work with other like-minded countries, this is an issue that's worth standing up on. So even though we don't have another chance to be able to have that debate on the floor of the conference in a way that, as I said, I grew up seeing many times (of debates happening during conferences) before, it doesn't mean the issue is any less important."
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missiles have struck targets across Iran after President Donald Trump vowed "major military punishment" for Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen for extending the Middle East war to a second major shipping chokepoint, the mouth of the Red Sea.
Two weeks after the collapse of an interim truce meant to end the war, the Iranian armed forces responded by firing at US bases in neighbouring Arab countries and warning people there that they may strike non-military buildings used by US personnel.
The Houthis, who control northern and western Yemen, have announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, which has diverted millions of barrels of oil each day by pipeline to the Red Sea to skirt Iran's near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
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Federal energy minister Chris Bowen has reassured the nation about Australia's fuel storage, as uncertainty of the war in the Middle East increases.
The federal government has extended the fuel excise to August 2, and Bowen hasn't revealed if the government will again extend the excise, as the US and Iran trade fires again in July.
But Mr Bowen says Australia's fuel supply is secure.
"Obviously the situation in the Middle East continues to be uncertain, but one thing Australians can be certain about is that our fuel supply continues to be solid and secure. And today's Saturday update, I can tell you that we have 42 days worth of petrol, 38 days of diesel, and 32 days worth of jet fuel. All of these figures are more than we had on the day Iran was first bombed on February 28."
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Slovenian four-times champion Tadej Pogacar [[poh-gar-char]] has claimed victory on stage 19 of the Tour de France.
Pogacar climbed Alpe d'Huez [[alp-doo-ez]] in 35 minutes and 27 seconds, more than a minute faster than the record set by Marco Pantani three decades ago.
Frenchman Lenny Martinez finished second while Ecuadorean stage 18 winner Richard Carapaz came in third.
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