What we learned, Friday 6 March
And with that, we’ll close the blog for today (and this week!). It’ll be back on Sunday with more live news. I hope you have a great weekend.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, confirmed three Australians were on board a US submarine that torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. However, he insisted “no Australian personnel had “participated in any offensive action against Iran”, which drew a stringing rebuke from the Greens.
Staying with the Middle East conflict, the first of a handful of commercial flights commissioned to bring stranded travellers home to Australia landed overnight, although it later emerged there were empty seats on some of the planes despite thousands of people being stuck in limbo.
Israel’s new ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, tried to cast doubt on the bombing of a school in Iran that killed at least 165, claiming in an interview with the ABC that “one cannot believe pictures or even photos or words that come out of Iran”. A Guardian investigation verified the destruction of the girls’ school.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission put petrol companies on notice amid accusations retailers are using the Middle East conflict as an excuse to gouge their customers.
The Queensland coroner determined that Piper James, the Canadian backpacker found dead on K’gari island in January, died from drowning “in the setting of multiple injuries, due to, or as a consequence of a dingo attack”.
Victorian women will soon be able to get the contraceptive pill from the chemist without a prescription, the premier, Jacinta Allan, announced.
The South Australian Liberals – who are polling dismally ahead of the state election - decried One Nation’s move to rule out preference deals as “highly destructive”.
In other One Nation news, the Guardian revealed the party’s newest senator for New South Wales, Sean Bell, continued to live and work in Queensland in his first four months in the role – while also billing taxpayers more than $6,000 for chauffeured cars in Brisbane.
Jackie “O” Henderson released her first public statement since her controversial breakfast radio show was taken off air after a fall out with her co-host, Kyle Sandilands. Henderson said she “did not quit or resign”.
A Melbourne mosque has closed after a suspicious package found at premises. The mosque was due to host a Iftar dinner in celebration of Ramadan.
And we brought you the news that apple peeling champion Kerrie Stratford had produced a nearly four-metre strip to win her 22nd title at the apple and grape harvest festival’s apple peeling contest in Stanthorpe, Queensland.
Updated
Melbourne mosque says site closed after suspicious package found at premises
A Melbourne mosque was on Friday evening closed and surrounding streets cordoned off after a suspicious package was found at the premises, its management said.
The Islamic Council of Victoria, which houses a mosque and the offices of the peak Muslim body, made an urgent community announcement on Friday evening, saying its mosque was closed because a suspicious package had been identified at the West Melbourne address.
“Police have responded and have completely condoned off Jeffcott Street while they assess the situation. We ask all community members to avoid the area and follow police directions”, the social media post said.
Victoria Police confirmed officers were called to the ICV at about 4pm “to conduct a safety check” but were not able to confirm whether a package had been found.
As of 6.30pm, officers remained on scene and the area cordoned off as a precaution, with minor traffic disruptions while the investigation was ongoing.
All mosque events and activity were suspended. The centre had been due to host an Iftar dinner in celebration of Ramadan after sunset prayers.
Updated
‘Media narrative does not reflect what actually occurred’: Jackie O
Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has released her first public statement since her controversial breakfast radio show was taken off air after a fall out with her co-host, Kyle Sandilands.
In a statement, via her manager Gemma O’Neill, Henderson said:
Over the past few days, there has been a lot of speculation and misinformation about my departure from the show. I want to make one important point very clear: I did not quit or resign.
I am deeply saddened by the events of the past week and the possibility of the show ending. This has come as a shock to me, as it has to everyone else.
The current media narrative does not reflect what actually occurred, and it has been truly heartbreaking to see how this has unfolded. At this stage, I am unable to say anything further, as I am addressing this through the appropriate legal channels.
Thank you to everyone who has sent kind messages of support during what has been an incredibly challenging time.
Updated
Chinese helicopter intercepted Australian aircraft in ‘unsafe’ interaction, government says
The government says there has been an “unsafe” and “unprofessional” interaction with the Chinese military after a People’s Liberation Army-Navy helicopter intercepted an Australian helicopter over the Yellow Sea.
The Australian defence department published a statement a short time ago saying the Albanese government had expressed its concerns to China after the incident, which happened on Wednesday.
The government said the confrontation occurred when the Australian helicopter was in international waters undertaking routine activities as part of Operation Argos.
Operation Argos is Australia’s role in the international effort to enforce United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea.
The Chinese helicopter matched the Australian Defence Force helicopter’s altitude before closing in to an unsafe distance, the government said.
The government said the Chinese helicopter then moved slightly ahead, increased speed and then rolled towards the ADF helicopter, which required evasive action to maintain safe flight.
The defence department said:
While there were no injuries sustained by ADF personnel or damage caused to the MH-60R helicopter, the safety and wellbeing of our ADF personnel continues to be our utmost priority.
Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a safe and professional manner.
For decades, the ADF has undertaken maritime surveillance activities in the region, and does so in accordance with international law, exercising the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace.
Updated
SA state election turning into popularity test for One Nation
The South Australian state election is shaping up to be a test for One Nation’s surge in popularity.
The state Liberal party is looking to avoid another crushing defeat, but Newspoll’s latest findings suggest its primary vote in South Australia is at an abysmal 14%.
Meanwhile, One Nation’s primary is polling ahead of the Liberals at 24% with Labor on 44%.
So, with the Liberals trailing behind the minor right-wing party, they’re going to need all the preference flows they can get when South Australians go to the polls on 21 March.
That could be tricky because South Australia’s One Nation has now ruled out doing any preference deals with the Liberals.
The state’s shadow treasurer, Ben Hood, is not happy, describing One Nation’s move as “highly destructive” and said:
Our message to voters is clear … If you’re not happy with where things are headed in South Australia, then you’ve got to vote Liberal.
This is a highly destructive move by One Nation that will only ensure more Labor MPs and condemn South Australia to a lifetime of debt.
Updated
Tones And I Show To to headline bushfire relief concert in Victorian town
The Victorian government has said it is supporting Australian musician Tones and I’s sold-out concert in the bushfire-affected Longwood, which will raise funds for the town and surrounding region as residents recover from the January fires.
The Tones and I Goes to Longwood concert, scheduled for tomorrow at the Longwood Reserve, will support communities and emergency services affected by recent bushfires, with $5 from each ticket sold donated to the Strathbogie Disaster Relief Fund.
The minister for tourism, Steve Dimopoulos, today announced the government would help cover the costs of the concert under its regional events fund, though he didn’t say how much financial support it would provide.
The government has supported more than 450 events across regional Victoria, with upcoming events including the Lost Trades Fair in Woodend, Grampians Grape Escape and Nightide in Queenscliff, Dimopoulos said.
He said:
We are proud to support this event which will provide a much-needed boost for a community that has had a really tough summer.
The Regional Events Fund brings thousands of visitors to regional Victoria, providing a huge boost for businesses and showcasing some of our state’s most incredible destinations.
Rennee Vercoe, a local resident and member of the bushfire relief concert’s organising committee, said:
Longwood might be a small town, but it’s full of heart.
Being able to host Tones and I at the Longwood Recreation Reserve is a huge moment for our town – it’ll bring people into the region, showcase our community, and give those touched by the bushfires a positive night to share.
NRLW player Kate Fallon cleared of assaulting her teenage neighbour
An NRLW player has been cleared of assaulting her teenage neighbour in a fight over food delivery after a chaotic court hearing that nearly landed the teenager in hot water, AAP reports.
Parramatta Eels centre Kate Fallon, 22, faced Sydney’s Downing centre local court on Friday after pleading not guilty to assaulting her 17-year-old neighbour in July 2024.
The teenager claimed she was knocking on doors in a unit block in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in search of a missing $70 food delivery when Fallon attacked her.
Fallon’s barrister, Thomas Skinner, argued the assault claims weren’t supported by evidence, pointing to the teen’s later testimony that she ran up the stairs.
The accounts provided by the 17-year-old and her sister were markedly different, he said, with the sister telling the court she saw the teenager held against a wall by her throat.
The claim was not confirmed by the complainant, who had also identified only one altercation where her sister had suggested there were two, Skinner noted.
He pushed for the charges to be dismissed, telling the court: “The allegation on its face is implausible.”
While the prosecutor argued the witnesses had not been deliberately untruthful, he conceded the court might not find the assault had been proven.
Magistrate Lucas Swan said he had difficulty accepting the teenager’s account given the inconsistencies and her evasive approach to simple questions.
“I had serious questions about her reliability as a witness of truth,” he said.
The complainant initially said she didn’t strike Fallon at all during the altercation but, when pressed, maintained she had acted in self-defence.
Swan said there could be “no confusion about a person punching an individual” and he had “serious questions” about the teenager’s reliability.
The demeanour of the teenager and her sister did not help, with the magistrate noting contempt of court proceedings had been raised after they left court without permission during the hearing.
Swan dismissed the charges against Fallon and declined to make an apprehended violence order.
Fallon, who played seven games in the 2024 season, has remained on the roster with the Parramatta Eels since her arrest and the club has supported her throughout the court proceedings.
Updated
Sculpture by the Sea has returned to Perth for 2026 after 2025’s iteration was cancelled due to a lack of money, AAP reports.
If the fickle fun ride of Australian arts funding was a sculpture, it would be shaped like a rollercoaster - one you could put by the beach.
Installing and displaying 70 artworks at Cottesloe Beach does not come cheap, with just under a third of the event’s $2.7m budget coming from federal trade and investment agency Austrade.
The export-oriented body has provided a $1.5m grant to the WA event to cover its staging in 2026 and 2027.
About 20% of the budget comes from WA’s state government through Tourism WA and Lotterywest.
The event’s founder, David Handley, said:
The Perth public made it very clear how disappointed they were that the exhibition would be no more.
Within a couple of days, we got a phone call from people in the government saying, ‘how can we make this happen?’
The original Sculpture by the Sea event in Sydney attracts an audience of about 450,000 people and is billed as the largest free outdoor sculpture exhibition in the world.
It lost $1m in federal money after 2023, when it was ranked in the bottom third of applicants in a funding round by federal arts funding agency Creative Australia.
Half the artists on show in Perth are from Western Australia, including Jason Hirst from the Perth-based public art company Little Rhino Designs.
He spent more than $100,000 fabricating the two-by-ten metre sculpture Love You, which was initially accepted for the 2025 exhibition.
International artists are also on display, from nations including Canada, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, Britain and the United States.
Updated
ACCC puts petrol companies on notice amid accusations of price gouging
The consumer watchdog has put petrol stations on notice amid accusations retailers are using the Middle East conflict as an excuse to gouge their customers.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) put out a statement on Friday saying it was “keeping a close eye on the petrol market” after the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, asked it to monitor for profiteering behaviour.
The ACCC said the prices of international crude oil and Singapore Mogas 95 – the relevant international benchmark for the wholesale price of petrol in Australia – had increased sharply and the spike was being influenced by the conflict.
However, as my colleague Patrick Commins reported on Thursday, changes in international benchmark fuel prices can take about two weeks to work their way through service stations in the major cities, and longer in the regions, according to the Australian Institute of Petroleum.
Yet average petrol prices in Australian city suburbs jumped almost immediately, including an 8.4c rise in average Brisbane prices since Friday, and a 7.5c average increase in Melbourne, according to Guardian Australia’s analysis of data from petrol tracking website Motormouth.
In a statement, one of the ACCC’s commissioners, Anna Brakey, said:
The ACCC will not hesitate to take action if representations and market behaviour by a petrol company contravene competition and consumer laws.
We have written to major fuel companies to set out our expectations about domestic fuel pricing as these international events unfold.
At this time, as at any time, we encourage motorists to use fuel price apps and websites to shop around to find the lowest prices.
The ACCC said crude oil prices had spiked in early January due to “geopolitical developments” in Venezuela and Iran, but dropped again by the end of the month, with overall minimal influence on the Mogas 95 price.
You can read more here:
Updated
Hello, I hope you’re having a very nice Friday. I’ll take you through the rest of the afternoon’s news.
That’s all from me. Catie McLeod will guide you into the weekend. Take care.
Major flood warnings across the Northern Territory and Queensland
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued multiple flood warnings for the Northern Territory and Queensland as tropical lows bring heavy rain to the region.
In the NT, major flood warnings are in place around the Katherine River, the Waterhouse River, the Roper River, the Daly River and the Georgina River.
Significant river level rises have been observed in many areas.
Angus Hines, a meteorologist with the BoM, said the Daly district south of Darwin could have six-hour rainfall totals of 90mm to 140mm.
It will continue to be extremely wet. … With more rain on the way we could see more rivers reach their flood levels and potentially burst their banks.
Severe Weather Update: Tropical lows bring rain, flooding to Queensland and the Northern Territory.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) March 6, 2026
Video current: 11:30am AEST 6 March 2026.
Latest forecasts and warnings: https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/lJsDJWJHZv
In Queensland, significant flooding has been seen north of Cairns and in the surrounding areas. Heavy rain is moving inland, with six-hour rainfall totals of 70mm to 130mm over interior parts of north Queensland.
Major flood warnings are in place around the Flinders River, the Georgina River and the Thomson River.
Updated
Fire ants detected in Queensland’s prized Gondwana rainforests
Fire ants have been discovered in the world heritage-listed Gondwana rainforests in south-east Queensland.
A red imported fire ant nest was on 3 March found by a member of public in Lamington national park in the Gold Coast hinterland, a section of ancient rainforest that is internationally recognised for its extraordinary biodiversity and ecological history stretching back to Gondwana.
The nest’s site is outside the National Fire Ant Eradication Program’s containment boundary.
The program has destroyed the nest and is urging residents and businesses in Binna Burra in the Scenic Rim region to stay alert for the insects, which are native to South America and can kill people and livestock, and damage infrastructure and ecosystems.
Invasive Species Council advocacy director, Reece Pianta, said fire ants were one of the worst invasive threats to Australia’s wildlife and a failure to eradicate them in south-east Queensland could lead to them spreading across most of the country.
He continued:
To find a nest inside one of the world’s most ancient and beautiful rainforests is alarming. These places should be beyond the reach of invasive species.
Rainforest is an unusual habitat for fire ants, which shows just how adaptable and dangerous they are and why every part of Australia is at risk of fire ant infestation.
How Flightradar24 became the go-to platform for the world to watch global aviation crises unfold
Mikael Robertsson and Olov Lindberg did not set out to build one of the pre-eminent monitors of global airspace. In a bid to draw more eyes to their Swedish flight price comparison portal, the entrepreneurs added a page charting air traffic.
That page became Flightradar24, the portal that people around the world now turn to when there is chaos – and drama – in the skies.
In recent days, as the US-Israel war on Iran rapidly cleared the airspace over the Middle East, prompting widespread travel chaos that disrupted hundreds of thousands of travellers, viewers from around the world gravitated to the platform.
On Flightradar24 the impact on aviation was clear. With large swaths of the Middle East closed to air traffic, two narrow flight corridors emerged, crammed with little yellow plane symbols – the first to the north of Iran, through the Caucasus, but below Ukraine’s closed airspace, and the second to the south, through Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Read more here:
RACGP opposes Victoria’s change to contraceptive pill access
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has opposed the change in Victoria over access to the contraceptive bill, as we reported earlier. It says it goes against the advice of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which has ruled the pill should only be prescribed by doctors who can manage the risk of serious complications.
The RACGP chair, Dr Anita Muñoz, said:
We are deeply disappointed that the Victorian government appears to be listening to lobbyists for pharmacy owners rather than the medicines experts, the TGA, whose guidance exists to protect patient safety. At a time when the government faces a challenging political environment in an election year, it has chosen a shortcut on women’s healthcare instead of investing in the evidence‑based solutions that actually improve access.
The premier, Jacinta Allan, pre-empted the criticism at her press conference, saying pharmacists were highly skilled and trained healthcare professionals:
This is about opening up access, and what it means for GPs is it frees up time for them. Because we know there’s huge pressure on the primary care system that it is hard to get in and find a bulk-billing appointment. This makes those spots available for other people while women are getting the access to the care that they need … It’ll be safe, it’s being done in a professional way, but it’s also going to really mean a big difference, particularly for younger women will be able to get access to the oral contraceptive pill, and it could be life changing for them.
Updated
Coalition responds to confirmation Australians on board US submarine
The Coalition has responded to the government’s confirmation three Australians were on board the US submarine that downed the Iranian warship.
More than 50 Australian sailors and officers are serving across the US attack submarine fleet, a training regimen that is part of preparations for Australia to command its own nuclear-powered submarines under the Aukus deal.
Shadow defence minister, James Paterson, wouldn’t say anything specific about Australian personnel being involved in the attack but said that the Aukus pact continues to have the Coalition’s “unqualified support”.
The US alliance is the cornerstone of Australia’s national security and Aukus is our most important defence project.
A critical part of delivering Aukus is that Australian Navy personnel get first-hand experience serving on US nuclear-powered submarines. It has the Coalition’s unqualified support.
Updated
Shoebridge says US submarine contravened Geneva conventions by ‘abandoning’ Iranian survivors on the high seas
Greens senator David Shoebridge says the US submarine that sank the Iranian warship with three Australians involved contravened the second Geneva conventions by “abandoning” the Iranian survivors.
Shoebridge said the Iranian warship, which was struck down near Sri Lanka, had been in the area for a “friendship visit” and was carrying low munitions.
While international law expert Don Rothwell has said the downing of the ship was legal, now that the US and Iran have begun engaging in armed conflict, Shoebridge said the US submarine should have helped the survivors:
The abandoning of the survivors to leave them to be picked up hours later by a Sri Lankan asset when there was no credible threat to the US nuclear submarine, that is clearly a contravention of the second Geneva convention.
If you sink a military asset. If it’s no longer a threat to you at the high seas, you have an obligation to rescue the survivors. And the United States, and with Australian personnel on board, grossly breach that obligation.
Updated
Greens senator David Shoebridge says Australia is ‘unambiguously part of an illegal war’
The Greens senator David Shoebridge has issued a scathing rebuke of the prime minister’s claim that “no Australian personnel have participated in any offensive action against Iran” when three Australians were on board the US submarine that sank an Iranian warship near Sri Lanka.
Shoebridge, the Greens justice and foreign affairs spokesperson, said it was an “extraordinary” claim.
Speaking to journalists at Parliament House, Shoebridge said it was “inevitable” that Australians would end up involved in the conflict alongside the US, due to the Aukus partnership that has seen dozens of Australian defence personnel stationed on US submarines.
It is extraordinary that the prime minister, literally in the same sentence, said that Australian personnel were on a US nuclear attack class submarine that struck and sunk an Iranian frigate, but Australia is not directly involved in the war in Iran. These two facts cannot sit together in the same sentence.
It is as sure as day follows night that Australians throughout the US military are actively involved part of the United States and Israel’s illegal war in Iran.”
Shoebridge added that the involvement of the Australian personnel makes Australia “obviously, clearly, unambiguously, part of an illegal war, part of a war that is breaking down the norms of international law”.
Updated
Victorian pharmacists to provide the pill without doctor’s script
Victorian women will soon be able to get the contraceptive pill from the chemist without a prescription, the premier, Jacinta Allan, has announced.
At a press conference this morning, she announced from July, Victoria’s Chemist Care Now program will be expanded to allow access to the oral contraceptive pill without a prescription at 850 pharmacies across the state.
The program currently allows pharmacists to provide only a month’s supply of oral contraceptives if the patient presents an old prescription or the medication box they used previously.
Allan said pharmacists involved in the program will need to complete a postgraduate training module. They will also be required to undertake a thorough consultation with patients, outline any risks and provide advice about other options, including long-acting reversible contraception.
She said the expansion of the program would make it easier for women – particularly those in the outer suburbs and regions – to access contraceptives, as well as save them time and money. The premier told reporters:
When women have run out of the pill – and many women would know what this feels like – having the hassle of having to shop around, get a bulk billing GP appointment … reorganising your whole day around that appointment that takes time out of women’s days.
Updated
NSW government won’t legalise e-scooters ‘until we’ve got the ebike situation under control’
The NSW transport minister, John Graham, has told budget estimates the government won’t legalise private e-scooters until it has addressed safety concerns about the use of ebikes.
The Minns government signalled in May last year that it would legalise e-scooters for over-16s on shared paths and bike lanes on roads – but not footpaths – at speeds of up to 20km/h, following a parliamentary inquiry into the use of e-micromobility devices.
It has yet to do so, but since then has been compelled to turn to ebike reform, amid safety concerns including a surge in injuries and an incident in which 40 or so ebikes swarmed the Sydney Harbour Bridge last month. It will introduce a minimum age to ride an ebike, and give police powers to crush overpowered bikes, changes which Graham says he expects by legislated by August.
The opposition has called for an ebike licence plate scheme, which the government is yet to support. Under questioning from the opposition transport spokesperson, Natalie Ward, Graham says the government will not make private e-scooters legal “until we’ve got the ebike situation under control”.
I think other cities have made [e-scooters] work. I just think it’s the wrong moment today to introduce them on to our streets. I think the public mood is … we should get the ebike share schemes under control. That decision has been made, those regulations are coming into force, and we should deal with some of the private e-bike issues that we’ve seen.
Private e-scooters are legal on roads and footpaths, subject to speed limits, in most Australian states and territories, excluding NSW and the Northern Territory. A shared e-scooter scheme is under way in NSW in Wollongong and Foster-Toncurry.
Updated
Empty seats on flights bringing stranded Australians home from the Middle East
There have been empty seats on the commercial flights commissioned to bring stranded travellers home to Australia from the Middle East, AAP reports.
Thousands of passengers have been stuck in limbo in Gulf transit hubs since the airspace was closed when the escalating US and Israeli air war against Iran began on the weekend.
The Australian government says it is working with the United Arab Emirates government to arrange a few commercial flights to get people home, and the first two left last night.
However, despite many people being stuck, the flights landing in Australia have not always been full as people are only getting a couple of hours’ notice from the airlines and some are hesitant to fly because of safety concerns.
The first two flights left last night: an Emirates plane touched down just before 11pm in Sydney, with another arriving in Melbourne about 6.20am this morning.
A third plane, from Abu Dhabi to Sydney, was due to arrive just after 9.30am.
Emirates is expected to operate another four flights from Dubai in the next 24 hours, while Etihad and Qatar Airways have tentatively scheduled a small number of flights that might not go ahead due to the closure of airspace.
Updated
Jim Chalmers consults with economists before May budget
About 30 of the country’s leading private sector economists have descended on the Treasury building in Canberra this morning, where behind closed doors they will hold forth on what they would do to fix the economy if they were in charge.
Jim Chalmers gave a brief opening address to the herd of dismal scientists (as the profession is often dubbed), telling them he wanted to hear their ideas for unleashing the economy’s productive capacity, a couple of months out from what the treasurer has said will be an “ambitious” budget.
Lifting productivity is a tricky, long-term endeavour, but it’s seen as a cure-all for what ails the economy, especially its ability to grow without adding to inflation.
Treasury officials, including the Treasury secretary, Jenny Wilkinson, are on hand for a talkfest spread across four sessions, during which time officials will also be keen to hear the economists’ view on the impact on inflation and growth from the US-Israel war on Iran.
Updated
Albanese said there’s ‘no question’ Iran war will have economic impact
The prime minister said Australia was not “immune” from the effects of the Iranian war, but said the country was well positioned to handle economic issues linked to the conflict.
He told Sky:
Our task is to be really clear about what Australia’s interest are, and what the interests of the world are in promoting a global peace, security and prosperity. …
There is no question that when you have a global event like this, it will have an economic impact.
Albanese added his priority in the short-term is getting Australians home safely.
Updated
Albanese confirms three Australians on board US submarine that sank Iranian warship
Prime minister Anthony Albanese confirmed three Australian submariners were on board a US submarine that torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean.
Albanese spoke to Sky News this morning, saying:
We wouldn’t normally confirm such an issue … I can confirm that there were three Australian personnel on board that vessel.
I can confirm also though that no Australian personnel have participated in any offensive action against Iran.
The attack by the US submarine killed at least 87 people.
Updated
Aussie shares tank as oil prices jump again
The share market had heavy early losses, with the benchmark ASX 200 index opening 1.1% lower, after the overseas sell-off.
At 8,840 points, Aussie stocks are down a hefty 3.9% so far this week as investors digest the potential impact of soaring oil prices following the US-Israel attacks on Iran.
The global Brent crude price jumped nearly 5% overnight to trade at $US85.41 a barrel, about $US15 higher over the week.
Oil is on track for its biggest weekly gain since the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to Bloomberg.
The only segment of the local share market in the green is energy stocks, which are up more than 7% in early trade as investors factor in a boost to profits from the energy market ructions.
Paul Dalton, an investment director at fund manager Federated Hermes, said a “sell-first-ask-questions-later mentality” had taken hold.
“Clearly this is a fast-moving situation with a wide range of possible outcomes and hard-to-predict implications for the global economy and financial markets,” Dalton said.
“The key uncertainties remain the future of the Iranian regime, the duration of the conflict and the degree to which it may escalate.”
The Aussie dollar is hanging in there, fetching just over US70 cents, reflecting in part the increasing chance the Reserve Bank will need to hike interest rates over coming months.
Updated
Backpacker Piper James died ‘as a result of drowning’ at K’gari after dingo attack, coroner says
Piper James, the Canadian backpacker found dead on K’gari island in January, died from drowning “in the setting of multiple injuries, due to, or as a consequence of a dingo attack”, the Queensland coroner said this morning.
A spokesperson for the coroner’s court said in a statement:
The Coroners Court of Queensland advises that the results of Piper’s cause of death have now been determined by the assigned Queensland Health forensic pathologist and has been accepted by the investigating Coroner.
Piper died as a result of drowning in the setting of multiple injuries, due to, or as a consequence of a dingo attack.
The investigation into Piper’s death is ongoing, and no further information can be provided at this time.
Updated
Some flights arriving in Australia have reportedly had spare seats
Flights carrying Australians fleeing the Middle East are arriving with empty seats as late-notice airline confirmations and safety concerns keep some citizens from returning home, AAP reports.
The flights landing in Australia have not always been full as people are only getting a couple of hours’ notice from the airlines and some are hesitant to fly because of safety concerns.
There are 24,000 Australians in the UAE, made up of travellers and residents, while about 115,000 are across the broader Middle East.
The federal government has deployed military assets to assist stranded Australian citizens and permanent residents.
Eight Emirates flights between Dubai and Australia/New Zealand set for next 24 hours
Emirates plans to fly eight flights between Dubai and Australia and New Zealand over the next 24 hours as airlines work to move thousands of travellers stuck by the war in Iran.
The UAE airline has slowly begun limited repatriation flights out of Dubai after days of airspace closures. Emirates will have more than 100 flights depart Dubai and return to the airport from destinations around the world by the end of Friday, which will carry passengers as well as essential cargo like perishables and pharmaceuticals, the airline said.
A spokesperson added:
Emirates will continue to gradually build back its flying schedule, subject to airspace availability and all operational requirements being met. Safety is always our top priority.
We continue to monitor the situation and adapt our operations accordingly.
An Emirates flight from Sydney arrived last night, and one from Melbourne landed this morning.
Updated
Marsupials previously thought extinct for millennia discovered in New Guinea
Researchers led by the Australian scientist Tim Flannery have made a once-in-a-lifetime discovery: that two charismatic marsupial species that had been thought extinct for 6,000 years are alive in rainforest in remote West Papua.
The pair are rare examples of “Lazarus taxa” – species that disappeared from fossil records in the distant past that are later found to have survived.
One of the species is a striped possum with an extraordinarily elongated fourth digit, twice as long as the rest of its fingers, that it uses to extract and feed on wood-boring insect larvae. Fossil records had previously indicated the species, known as the pygmy long-fingered possum (Dactylonax kambuayai), lived in Australia’s central Queensland region about 300,000 years ago but seemed to have vanished during the ice age.
Before the recent discovery it was last known to have lived in West Papua until about 6,000 years ago.
Read more here:
Updated
Oil disruption to drive ASX sell-off
Australian shares are poised to drop sharply today, as investors become increasingly concerned about a prolonged war in the Middle East and a breakout in global inflation.
Futures pricing indicates the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 will open about 1.6% lower this morning to trade below the 8,800-point mark, in what would mark one of the biggest single-day drops in the market over the past 12 months.
Global share markets have been hit by inflation fears caused by the Middle East conflict, linked to energy market disruptions.
A rising oil price is a major global inflation trigger given it drives up costs across nearly all goods and services in the economy.
The National Australia Bank markets team said in a morning note that “clearly the length of the Middle East conflict is key to whether there will be a protracted negative energy supply shock”.
While a 1.6% drop today would be significant, it is far smaller than the sell-off prompted by Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs last year. A technology-led rout in early February also led to a 2% fall in the benchmark index.
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Australia bans Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir under new laws
Australia has banned extreme Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, in the first use of laws introduced in response to the Bondi massacre, AAP reports.
The organisation had been listed as a prohibited hate group, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, announced late on Thursday.
“There’s a general acceptance from Australians that there is a level of hatred and dehumanising language that does provide a pathway for violence, even if it’s not using the words violence,” he told ABC radio on Friday.
It is now a crime to be a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, to recruit for it, and to provide training, funds or support to the group. Other countries that have banned Hizb ut-Tahrir include a number of Muslim-majority nations such as Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
The tough new hate crimes laws were enacted after the 14 December terror attack at Bondi. Burke said in a statement:
For a long time, Hizb ut-Tahrir has been able to spread hate and create a pathway for others to engage in violence.
The Australian government’s new hate group listing framework has been designed to stop organisations like Hizb ut-Tahrir, from spreading hate and sowing the seeds of division in the community, that risks not only our social cohesion but the safety of Australians.
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Tropical low forces residents to seek higher ground in far north Queensland
Overnight flash flooding and more rain on the way is causing havoc for residents told to seek higher ground, AAP reports.
Far north Queensland continues to brace for a tropical low to cross the coast but many locals have already been told to leave because of flooding.
Police issued a flood emergency warning for the Daintree River at 9.30pm on Thursday, saying flash flooding was already occurring and residents should move to safety at higher ground.
In other areas, sandbag stations are in place with heavy rain, flooding and damaging winds forecast on Friday as the tropical low tracks northeast of Cairns.
Up to 240 millimetres of rain is expected to fall in a six-hour period on Friday, which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
Local infrastructure has already been affected, with the wild conditions causing the Daintree Ferry to come loose from its moorings.
Tropical Low 29U is in the Coral Sea to the northeast of Cairns. It is expected to move to the southwest and cross the coast between Cairns and Ingham during Friday.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) March 5, 2026
Current 4:45 am AEST Friday 6 March 2026.
Latest track map: https://t.co/kvnVnSAbuC pic.twitter.com/GVQK0zDu3K
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Guardian investigation verified destruction at Iranian girls’ school
Back to the Israeli ambassador’s claims this morning about the Iranian girls’ school that was bombed. Hillel Newman did not offer any evidence to back up his suggestions that the bombing “had not been authenticated”.
Earlier this week, the Guardian pieced together video footage of the Saturday morning attack, the worst mass casualty event of the Iran war so far. Between 10am and 10.45am, during the school’s morning session, a missile directly hit Shajareh Tayyebeh school, in Minab, southern Iran, demolishing its concrete building.
Verified footage and images show the destruction that killed dozens of seven to 12-year-old girls, including graphic content that shows children’s bodies buried in debris (which the Guardian did not publish due to their graphic nature).
The Guardian cross-referenced verified videos from the site with satellite imagery to confirm the location of the primary school.
As Tess McClure and Deepa Parent report, the school’s location, the nearby smoke, and the timing of the bombing – in the first round of strikes by US and Israeli forces – all gave credence to the assertion that the school was hit as part of a series of strikes by the US and Israel on or around a nearby Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) complex. There is no indication the school was in any sense a military-use building.
You can read more of our visual investigation here:
Burke also won’t confirm Australians on US submarine
Tony Burke was asked earlier if he would confirm there were two Australian sailors on the American submarine that sank an Iranian warship. He said he respected the question but wouldn’t give an answer, telling RN:
We don’t confirm the location of Australian military personnel on any operation that our allies might conduct.
He was pressed about any confusion between the reports and government messaging saying Australia wasn’t involved in the war. Burke said he wasn’t in a position to comment on the submarine strikes, adding:
We’re certainly not directing any involvement in this conflict.
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Israeli ambassador questions facts behind bombing of girls' school in Iran
Hillel Newman was asked about the bombing of a school in Iran that killed at least 165 students. He cast doubt on the details around the blast, saying the bombing “has not been authenticated” and “one cannot believe pictures or even photos or words that come out of Iran”.
What I would like to say is that there’s a clear distinction between the activity and the operation of the US and Israel, which is a joint operation. It’s not an Israeli operation, it’s a joint US-Israel operation. There’s a clear distinction. We target military installations.
The school was struck on the first day of US and Israeli strikes on the country. The UN human rights office has called for an investigation into the deadly attack.
Newman told RN:
Our attacks are pinpointed and quite accurate against military installations. That’s why you don’t hear great numbers of civilians that have been affected. Regarding the school, therefore, we have our doubts. We cannot believe anything that comes out of Iran.
There are a few options regarding the school. One is that it’s not even true.
He said it will take Israel “time to get the truth”.
I can assure you, there was no intention to hit any school. There’s no intention to hit any civilian. There are mistakes that can happen during a war, but we’re not even sure that this is the case. It might even have been Iranian fire that fell short on the school, if it was a school.
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New Israeli ambassador to Australia says war with Iran will continue ‘as long as we need’
Israel’s new ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, said the conflict between the country and Iran will continue “as long as we need” to achieve multiple objectives, including removing the threat of Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Newman just spoke to RN, saying Israel wanted new leadership in Iran that is not a “war-mongering leadership” that tries to “annihilate the state of Israel”. He said:
The people of Iran must decide their future. We’re not deciding for them their future. It’s their choice. But we’re trying to remove the fear barrier. The people do want to change. They want to change their regime. They’re oppressed.
Burke says Herzog’s secret meeting with Asio nothing ‘unusual’
Burke was just asked why Israeli president Isaac Herzog held a secret meeting with the boss of Asio during his trip to Australia last month.
He said people were “reading too much” into a simple conversation that happens all the time.
When you get dignitaries or ministers visiting from other countries, they make their requests for who they want to have conversations with and who they want to meet with. And so it’s not unusual for requests to come through for security agencies.
Obviously, I meet with foreign security agencies. They’re always on my list when I travel. But when someone makes a request, then if it’s possible for a meeting to be conducted, a meeting’s conducted.
Tony Burke says commercial flights needed to unclog backlog of travellers stuck in Middle East
Tony Burke, the minister for home affairs, is also speaking about flights back to Australia.
He said more than 100,000 people are stranded in the Middle East and travellers needed commercial airspace to reopen more broadly to unclog that backup of people trying to return home. Burke told RN:
When something like this happens, normally our process has been to get people to the transport hubs. This time, the transport hubs have also been attacked … The commercial flights are now starting to come. But obviously, the airlines are having to not only make sure they’ve got planes available but also make sure that it’s safe to fly.
Our priority is being able to get Australians safe and get them back home. The simple reality is when you’ve got more than 100,000 people in the region who have been stranded, a charter flight option isn’t going to scratch the surface on that. You really need to rely on the commercial airlines. And, as I say overnight and this morning, that’s now started.
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Minister won’t say if Australians were on US submarine that sunk Iranian warship
King would not speak about reports that Australian personnel were on board a US submarine when it torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka yesterday, killing at least 87 people.
Defence sources told the Guardian yesterday that they believe two Australians were on board the submarine.
King said she would not talk about crews or operational matters, saying there are longstanding arrangements with foreign governments over such deployments. She told RN Breakfast:
It really isn’t appropriate to go into those details.
She added that Australians were “absolutely” training with the US Navy.
We do have personnel training through the Aukus system, as one would expect, and we’ve been very open about that. But for operational security reasons, the Australian Defence Force does not and should not disclose specific details regarding third country deployments. And no one would expect us to.
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Minister says repatriation flights are ‘good news’ for stranded travellers
The federal resources minister, Madeleine King, is speaking on RN Breakfast this morning about the repatriation flights. She said it is “good news” that more flights are taking place, with four scheduled flights from Dubai and two from Abu Dhabi in the next 24 hours.
King added there’s been chatter that Qatar Airways could soon begin a limited number of relief flights as well.
It’s a long way from home, and there are Australians caught out a long way from home. And the Department of Foreign Affairs is working very hard to make sure every Australian finds their way to a safe place and hopefully home.
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Two flights from Dubai land in Sydney and Melbourne
A second commercial flight landed in Sydney last night from Dubai and the first made its way to Melbourne from the Middle Eastern hub.
An Emirates plane touched down just before 11pm in Sydney, with another arriving in Melbourne about 6.20am this morning. A third plane, from Abu Dhabi to Sydney, is set to arrive just after 9.30am.
Australians shared tearful stories on arrival.
“It’s just been so stressful hearing everything, and especially being five months’ pregnant and not knowing what’s happening,” one traveller told the ABC last night.
Emirates and Etihad is still only operating limited flights until further notice, while Qatari airspace around Doha remains closed.
With the limited re‑opening of airspace, Emirates is operating a reduced flight schedule until further notice. Visit https://t.co/A2RdND1Gjr for more information.
— Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) March 5, 2026
These flights are open for booking and we are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority.… pic.twitter.com/a0R100YFUL
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Good morning, Nick Visser here to take on Friday’s news. Let’s get to it.
Tropical low brings severe weather to far north Queensland coast
Emergency crews are ready and sandbag stations are in place in towns along Queensland’s far north coast, with heavy rain, flooding and damaging winds forecast on Friday as a tropical low tracks north-east of Cairns, AAP reported this morning.
A cyclone watch for the region was cancelled yesterday after the system was considered a very low chance of intensifying before hitting the coast.
The “disconnected” tropical low was likely to reach the coast by this afternoon between Cairns and Townsville before moving south-west into central Queensland at the weekend, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Angus Hines said.
We’ll bring you more updates on this through the day.
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Australia to change luxury car tax to close EU trade deal
Australia looks set to make changes to the luxury car tax as part of concessions to secure a free trade deal with the European Union.
Both sides have been talking up significant progress on the negotiations and a visit to Australia by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, could be announced within days.
The luxury car tax has been a sticking point and Guardian Australia has been told the current $80,000 threshold could be increased to at least $100,000, in a concession to European manufacturers including BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Cars with a value over the LCT threshold attract an LCT rate of 33%.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, confirmed the government had indicated a willingness to include the luxury car tax thresholds in the FTA discussions.
“We are trying to finalise that EU free trade deal as soon as we can,” he said, paying tribute to the trade minister, Don Farrell, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best of the breaking news before I hand the news reins to Nick Visser.
