PM says Dfat will upgrade Middle East travel advice ‘very soon’ – as it happened

Albanese says US should stick with Aukus but says Trumps’s review ‘appropriate’

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says the Trump administration should stick with the Aukus agreement on nuclear submarines, describing it as a tool for peace and stability.

The Pentagon said on Thursday the 30-day review of the agreement was aimed at ensuring the military pact between Australia, the United States and Britain best served the interests of the US.

It will be run by the US undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Elbridge Colby, a sceptic of Aukus. Albanese said the review was appropriate for the Trump administration.

He said:

The United States, as an incoming government, is having a review, just like the Australian government did with our defence strategic review, and just like the government of Keir Starmer in the United Kingdom had, as well.

We are very confident, though, that Aukus is in the interest of all three of our nations, and that it will play an important role in peace, security and stability around the world at a time when that is absolutely necessary.

ABC’s James Valentine to undergo treatment for second bout of cancer

Broadcaster and saxophonist James Valentine has revealed live on ABC radio he has a new cancer and that he will take several months off his Sydney Afternoons program to undergo treatment.

He said:

My current scans, and a biopsy have confirmed that I have tumours in my omentum.

Yes, omentum, I’d never heard of it either.

Staring next week Valentine will begin chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Valentine told his listeners in March last year oesophageal cancer was discovered after he “choked and retched” while eating curry at a party.

He had surgery to remove the tumour and returned to broadcasting in September.

Valentine worked as a musician during the 1980s, playing the saxophone in bands including Models and Absent Friends, and recorded, toured and performed with Jo Camilleri, Wendy Matthews, Kate Ceberano, Pseudo Echo and Stephen Cummings. He still plays in Sydney with his own jazz quartet.

Woodside granted extra time to respond to gas project extension’s ‘strict conditions’

Woodside Energy has been given more time to respond to conditions the Albanese government has imposed on its plan to extend the life of the North West Shelf liquefied natural gas development until 2070.

Woodside was initially given 10 days to respond to what the environment minister, Murray Watt, said were “strict conditions” attached to his proposed approval of the contentious development.

The conditions have not been publicly released. They relate to the management of the impact of nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide emissions on Indigenous rock carvings on the Burrup Peninsula in northern Western Australia.

The 10-day period expired today. Woodside issued a statement saying it was “continuing constructive consultation” with the government and the parties had agreed to extend the timeframe.

Environmentalists said the consultation should be open to the public. The Conservation Council of WA released a letter signed by 85 groups and people, including the former WA Labor premier Carmen Lawrence, ex-federal Labor MP Melissa Parke and the former Greens leader Christine Milne.

They said they were “deeply disappointed and alarmed” by the proposed decision, there had been no public consultation on the project since 2019, and “traditional custodians, experts, other affected parties and the broader Australian public” should be able to have a say about the proposal.

Victoria health minister wants quick decision on accreditation process for reproductive healthcare companies

Staying with the announced review into whether further regulation of the IVF industry is needed.

Victoria’s health minister Mary-Anne Thomas says she wants the state and federal ministers who met today to come to an immediate decision to implement an independent accreditation process for reproductive healthcare companies.

But she says so far they have not reached a consensus:

Queensland spoke against the proposition that I put to the committee.

L-plater allegedly clocked doing 172km/h on motorcycle on icy Tasmanian road

Tasmania Police said a learner rider had his motorcycle confiscated after he was allegedly clocked travelling 172km/h on icy roads yesterday.

The rider, 18, was on a learner licence with a 90km/h speed restriction. He was arrested and charged with a hooning-related offence, and his bike was confiscated for 28 days. Snr constable Christopher Rockliff with the Tasmania Police said:

It was -1C, it was frosty, the roads were busy with commuting motorists, and this learner rider was travelling 82km/h above his 90km/h speed restriction.

This could have ended in tragedy for both the rider and other road users.

Hello, I’ll now be with you until this evening.

That’s all from me today. I’ll leave you in the very capable hands of Jordyn Beazley. Take care this weekend.

Liberals roll out ex-federal politicians for Tasmania’s snap election

Tasmania’s embattled Liberals are rolling out several former federal politicians for its snap election, including one who announced his resignation 12 months ago, AAP reports.

The Liberals today revealed their candidate list for the north-west electorate of Braddon, including ex-federal MP Gavin Pearce and former senator Stephen Parry. Under Tasmania’s Hare-Clark voting system, seven MPs are elected in each of the state’s five electorates.

Pearce held Braddon at the federal level for six years from 2019, but announced in June 2024 he would not re-contest the seat. The seat was won by Labor with a sizeable swing, as Anthony Albanese swept to power in May.

“It’s almost like I read the tea leaves. (But) I did it (left) for the right reasons. The rigours of federal politics weighed on my personal commitments,” Pearce said today.

Pearce says he wants to “pick up his rifle and stand in the trenches” with Tasmania’s embattled premier, Jeremy Rockliff.

Coalition ‘concerned’ about Israel’s strikes on Iran, urges ‘caution and dialogue’

Michaelia Cash, leader of the opposition in the Senate, says the Coalition is concerned about escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, echoing foreign minister Penny Wong and members of the Greens who have expressed deep concerns about Israel’s strikes on Tehran.

Cash posted on X that the Coalition was encouraging “caution and dialogue between both countries,” adding:

We expect the government to prioritise the safety of Australian personnel and their families. We also call on Iran to stop its sponsorship of terrorism, including backing Hamas and Hezbollah.

Iran must also guarantee that it will not pursue or acquire nuclear weapons.

Oil prices spike and AUD falls after Israel strikes Iran

Oil prices have jumped by nearly 10% and the Australian dollar is weaker as news of Israel’s strikes on Iran reverberate around global financial markets. The local currency is buying 64.8 US cents after dropping half a US cent this morning.

Australian motorists have recently enjoyed falling fuel prices, but cheaper petrol could be at risk if global oil prices continue to climb or stay higher for longer. The global benchmark oil price, Brent crude, is 9.2% higher at $US75.71 a barrel after giving up some even larger gains earlier today.

The local share market has not been as troubled as other regional bourses, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index down only 0.3% to 8,542 points. In contrast, Japanese stocks are 1.3% lower, according to Bloomberg.

Gold, a traditionally safe investment haven, has also risen higher today.

Vivek Dhar, a CBA commodity analyst, said $US80 per barrel for Brent crude was likely in the short term. Dhar said:

The significant escalation in the region will mean markets are focusing on larger supply disruption threats, such as Iran’s ability to weaponise its control over the strait of Hormuz – a key waterway that transports (about) 19% of global oil supply.

Unions NSW calls for levy on short-term rentals to help fund essential worker housing

Unions NSW has welcomed a parliamentary report into essential worker housing released today, which found a critical lack of homes is threatening the delivery of essential services. The inquiry, chaired by MP Alex Greenwich, pointed to a survey of NSW frontline workers that found 78% of those asked were in housing stress.

The union group called for a levy on short-term rentals in NSW to help fund housing for those workers. Victoria already has a 7.5% levy on short-term rentals.

Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey said:

Essential workers are being forced out of their communities because investors can make more money putting their properties on sites like Airbnb than renting them out long term.

This is forcing the workers our communities rely on into excessive commutes, financial stress or even homelessness.

Person trapped after Victorian trench collapses – reports

A person is reported to be trapped after a trench collapsed in Kilmore, a town 65km north of Melbourne.

Victoria police said in a statement:

Emergency services are responding to reports of a trench collapse in Kilmore.

There are reports that one person is trapped at the Quinns Road site about 11.15am.

The situation is developing and further information will be provided when available.

We will update you as we learn more.

Embrace net zero or risk alienating voters, Liberal senator warns Coalition MPs

Coalition MPs should stop questioning climate change science and instead fully embrace emissions policies to deliver net zero by 2050, the Liberal senator Maria Kovacic says, warning Australia’s environment and economy are at risk.

After its historic drubbing at the 3 May election, some Coalition MPs are preparing for a protracted brawl about climate targets, leaving support for net zero policies under the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, in doubt.

Nationals including Matt Canavan and Barnaby Joyce, as well as Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie, have questioned net zero plans ahead of a policy review ordered by Ley. The shadow environment minister, Dan Tehan, told Guardian Australia this week the financial cost may shape the Coalition’s decision on whether to abandon the target.

But New South Wales senator Kovacic, a moderate and newly appointed shadow assistant minister, said the Coalition needed to maintain support for net zero, first agreed by the former Morrison government.

“Ultimately, we believe, as the Liberal party, in reducing emissions and ensuring that we are part of a global effort,” she said.

More on this story here:

Woman fatally hit by car in Melbourne

A 22-year-old Melbourne woman has died after she was struck by a car in the city’s south-east on Thursday night.

Victoria police said it was investigating the collision after the car struck the woman in Malvern at 6pm near the intersection of Meredith Street.

The driver, a 62-year-old man from Mount Waverley, stopped and assisted.

The woman died in hospital this morning.

“The exact circumstances of the collision are being investigated,” Victoria police said.

Hi there, I’ll be taking over from Nick Visser to bring you the latest news for the next little while.

New Zealand PM secures Xi Jinping meeting in China

Chris Luxon has booked a meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping for next week.

New Zealand’s conservative prime minister has announced the longest international trip of his tenure, spending four days in China and five in Europe in a trip also taking in the Nato summit in the Netherlands.

Since taking office in late 2023, Luxon has continued a shift in New Zealand’s foreign outlook – begun by Jacinda Ardern’s Labour government in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine – to more closely align with Australia and the United States.

This has not been uncontroversial.

Last week, former prime ministers Helen Clark and Geoffrey Palmer headed an open letter arguing that New Zealand was “risking its sovereignty” by strategic alignment and integration with Australia and it should not antagonise Beijing, for fear of losing a critical trade relationship.

– Australian Associated Press

Police reduce search for man missing near Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain

Police said this morning they had scaled back search efforts for a man missing since Monday.

Rescue officials have been searching for Victorian Christopher Inwood, 52, for days after discovering his van in the car park of a ranger station in the Cradle Mountain area on Tuesday morning.

He was last seen in the town of Kindred on Monday night. A Tasmania police helicopter crew searched the area on Thursday, as have SES volunteers, park rangers, police officers and drone operators.

Steven Jones, a rescue inspector for Tasmania police, said:

Extensive search efforts have been undertaken in the area where the missing person was last believed to be. At this stage, that area has been comprehensively searched, and all reasonable search strategies have been completed.

Given the length of time Mr Inwood has been missing and the harsh weather conditions in the area, if he has been fully exposed to the elements, sadly, his chances of survival are extremely low.

Wong says Albanese ‘very experienced international negotiator’ as PM heads to G7

Wong was asked if the PM had made any progress on efforts to speak with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7. She said:

The prime minister is a very experienced international negotiator and I certainly won’t pre-empt what he might want or have to say, but obviously … this is an important meeting.

It’s a privilege for Australia to be invited and I know the prime minister is looking forward to the opportunity to engage with all of the G7 nations.

Wong said the Aukus deal represented great benefits to Australia, but also to partner nations the US and the UK, saying “we are all custodians” of the deal.

Wong defends sanctions on two Israeli ministers

Penny Wong defended Australia’s joint sanctions announced this week on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers. The foreign minister described the pair as “inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank” earlier this week.

She said today:

We partnered with others – the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Norway – to sanction two ministers whose extremist settler project or support for that is for the reasons I outlined when I made the announcement. Something we’re all deeply concerned about.

We have a longstanding friendship with the people of Israel. We want that to continue and I said that when we announced. But we disagree with the actions of the Netanyahu government. We disagreed with the actions of these ministers in relation to the West Bank.

Two men arrested over alleged scheme to sell fake cocaine to criminals

NSW police have charged two people over their alleged involvement in a criminal syndicate selling fake cocaine to other criminal groups across Sydney.

The organised crime squad has been investigating an alleged South American criminal syndicate that it claims travelled from Spain to Sydney in May with the intent to sell 95kg of cocaine. Earlier this week, detectives executed a search warrant at a unit in the suburb of North Rocks, where police allegedly found 10 bricks of a substance believed to be cocaine, $121,000 and more than a dozen mobile phones, among other items.

Testing revealed the substance was not cocaine, but police will allege the criminal group was selling the substance to other syndicates as the drug for $90,000 a kilogram.

Police will also allege the same group had engaged in a similar scheme in London earlier this year.

The two men have been charged with suppling a prohibited drug and were refused bail this morning at Parramatta local court.

Conservation foundation chief to resign after decade of ‘vision, compassion and integrity’

The chief executive of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Kelly O’Shanassy, is resigning after more than a decade in the job.

In a statement, O’Shanassy said it had been an honour “to lead this powerhouse organisation and serve Australians who love nature and want climate action”.

ACF president Ros Harvey said O’Shanassy, who previously led Environment Victoria, would leave a “lasting legacy”.

Kelly has cultivated a welcoming and empowering culture within ACF and the broader environment movement and has always led with great vision, compassion and integrity.

Under Kelly’s stewardship, ACF created more than 40 ACF community groups across the country and attracted more than half a million new supporters, from cities, farms, the bush, the beach and mining communities.

O’Shanassy will stay in the role until the end of the year. The ACF board is conducting a national search for a replacement.

Albanese calls Air India crash ‘absolutely devastating’

The prime minister responded to the Air India crash last night on social media, saying the event was “absolutely devastating”. He also wrote on X:

In this time of tragedy, Australia’s thoughts are with everyone affected.

Our government is receiving regular updates and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Woman who witnessed Sydney light rail death calls for safety upgrades

A woman who says she saw a pedestrian fatally struck by a Sydney tram earlier this month is calling for safety upgrades to the city’s light rail network.

Annalise Gasparre, 27, said she was standing on the opposite platform at a light rail stop on Devonshire Street in Surry Hills in the moments before the man died on 5 June.

The man was the second pedestrian to die after being struck by a tram on Sydney’s light rail in two years, after the 2023 death of a teenage girl who became trapped underneath a tram while attempting to cross a street in the CBD.

Read more here:

One Nation won’t contest Tasmania’s snap election

One Nation said today it would not contest the snap election in Tasmania called after a no-confidence vote in Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff. Lee Hanson – daughter of Pauline – who lost her bid for a Senate seat in the federal election, criticised the timing of the new race, which comes just 16 months after Tasmanians last headed to the state polls.

One Nation said in a statement:

Unlike the major parties caught up in political theatrics over Hobart’s proposed stadium, One Nation is choosing principle over opportunism. Hanson said neither Labor nor the Liberals can be trusted to manage Tasmania’s finances, especially with both backing what she sees as reckless stadium spending.

The party said it would instead focus on growing “its strong federal base and preparing properly for the 2028 federal election and future state races”.

The ABC reports the Jacqui Lambie Network will also not contest the election.

Update on apartment building explosion

Fire and Rescue NSW superintendent Adam Dewberry said there was just one injury after the explosion and all other residents were accounted for.

The injured individual has been transported to hospital, but Dewberry said officials told him “they’ll be OK”. It’s unclear what injuries the person sustained.

Dewberry said of the damage:

A number of these people will be displaced and will not be able to go back into their accommodation due to the damage to the structure.

NSW police are leading investigations into how the explosion occurred.

Turnbull says Australia should prepare for defence plan other than submarines

Turnbull said Australia needed to acknowledge the risk that the Aukus deal would not provide it with the submarines it needed and should start planning for alternative defence capability. He told 7.30 last night:

We have a submarine deal which is very likely to end up with us having no submarines and that we’ve got to start acknowledging that risk.

It’s not Australia that’s walking away from the United States – the United States is pulling away from its allies. But we have to live in the real world.

The people that are deluded are the ones that are ignoring the real risks in this deal, and the fact that we should have, responsibly, a plan B.

Turnbull expresses doubts Australia will ever get US-made submarines

Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull roundly criticised the Aukus deal, saying it would “very likely” end up with Australia “having no submarines”.

Turnbull also appeared on ABC 7.30 last night, where he disputed Richard Marles’ claim earlier on the program that the rate of production in the US of Virginia-class submarines was increasing. Turnbull said:

That’s not true. The latest numbers given to the congress by the navy on 11 March this year was that the rate of production is 1.1 per annum.

They need to get to two by 2028 to be able to meet their own requirements, and to 2.33 to meet their own plus Australia’s.

And they have not been able to lift production rates despite the expenditure of over $10 billion over the last six or seven years. So they’ve got a real problem there.

Marles again says ‘completely appropriate’ for US to review Aukus

The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, downplayed the potential for the Trump administration’s Aukus review to jeopardise the trilateral security agreement.

Marles, who is also the defence minister, was questioned about the future of the nuclear-powered submarine deal on the ABC’s 7.30 last night, after the US defence department announced a 30-day review of the agreement.

Marles mainly stuck to his talking points during the interview, even as host Sarah Ferguson put pressure on him over whether the US has the capacity to construct enough conventional submarines to fulfil its end of the Aukus arrangement, even before Australia is due to start building nuclear-powered vessels of its own.

Ferguson said the Pentagon’s undersecretary of defence for policy, Elbridge Colby, had doubts about Aukus and the US’s ability to produce enough submarines to service its own navy. She noted the US had never been able to produce more than one conventional Virginia-class submarine a year, when it would need to produce two a year to enable them to be made available to Australia.

Marles insisted the challenges were “well known”, saying:

We need to get to that point in the early 2030s. That’s the time frame. Right now, we are confident that we can meet that. And we are seeing real progress – increases in both production and sustainment – associated with what we’re doing with Aukus and what the Americans themselves are doing.

That’s what is set out in the agreement that we already have with the United States, which forms part of the treaty that we now have between the US and the UK.

I think it’s completely appropriate for this administration to have a look at all of the facts and figures around that.