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TRANSCRIPT:
- The Treasurer says global economic shocks will impact Australia;
- The U-N maintains there's no military solution to the dispute in the Middle East;
- The AFL Players' Association defends Port Adelaide's Zak Butters.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has headed to the United States this morning to meet with G20 finance ministers.
The International Monetary Fund is warning of a possible global recession due to Middle East war-driven energy price spikes and supply disruptions - and Australia is forecast to potentially face one of the highest inflation rates of the world's advanced economies as the impacts unfold.
Dr Chalmers says the upcoming federal budget will strike a balance between immediate pressures and meeting international obligations.
He says Australia can handle itself - but even a permanent end to the war won't fix things immediately.
"Australia is better placed and better prepared than a number of other countries but we won't be spared the fallout from this very substantial economic shock. From an economic point of view, the end of the war can't come soon enough but even when the Strait is properly reopened and even when the hostilities formally end in an enduring way, we still expect the consequences of this war in the Middle East to be felt for some time."
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Australia's second-largest airline has followed Qantas in cutting travel capacity and raising airfares.
Virgin Australia says it's making the move to offset the impact of increased fuel and other operating prices as the conflict in the Middle East continues.
It says it's facing increased costs of between $30-40 million in the second half of its financial year.
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The United Nations Secretary-General has met with the deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, as the nation continues to act as a mediator in US and Iran peace talks.
U-S President Donald Trump has told the New York Times that Iran talks could resume in Pakistan over the next two days.
It's an event Antonio Guterres says is highly likely to take place, and that must happen.
"Peace agreements require persistent engagement and political will. Serious negotiations must resume and the ceasefire must be preserved and extended as necessary... It's time for restraint and responsibility. It's time for diplomacy over escalation, and it's time for a renewed commitment to international law."
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Israel's ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter has hit back at a reporter who accused Israel of firing missiles at Lebanese civilians.
Lebanese authorities say the Israeli offensive has killed more than 2000 people and forced 1.2 million from their homes.
The ambassador says Israel acts merely in defence against Hezbollah.
"I want to push back on your question. Israelis don't wake up in the morning and look to fire missiles across the border. The missiles are being fired at our civilians. That will be put a stop to. We will not allow a terror organisation to continually fire missiles into our population centres. That has to be understood by anybody asking such a question. The Lebanese understand that. I hope the media will as well."
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A new report from the Human Rights Commission says the impact of the conflict in the Middle East has been devastating on both the Jewish and Muslim communities in Australia.
In the report, both Muslim and Jewish Australians have detailed acts of discrimination against them, including in the workplace and educational settings, since October 7, 2023.
They say they feel people think it is okay to be openly racist towards them since that event, and that they feel dehumanised.
The report calls for coordinated action to address racism.
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Part of Australia's east coast has been shaken by an earthquake.
The 4.5-magnitude quake hit on Tuesday night about 30 kilometres southwest of Orange in central-west New South Wales.
More than 2,000 people reported feeling tremors, with some as far away as Batemans Bay, which lies hundreds of kilometres to the southeast.
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It's the second day of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's visit to Australia.
They had charity meetings at the Western Bulldogs’ Melbourne headquarters earlier before Harry headed to Canberra for an Australian War Memorial event.
On Monday, hundreds of excited families and youngsters greeted the pair inside the foyer at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, on the first stop of their visit.
TANYA (mum of patient): "I just wanted to see both of them... Never met a prince unless I say my husband."
MOLLY (young patient): "We saw a big crowd, me and my mum. And I saw - it was here so we just came over and had a look... I didn't actually recognise the name at first, but when my mum heard she burst over and ran to the crowd."
