What we learned, Tuesday 3 March
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines.
Anthony Albanese said he does not believe the US government will request military assistance from Australia in its conflict against Iran, noting Australia is “a long way” from the Middle East.
The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, arrived in Australia today for a three-day official visit, set to include a rare address to federal parliament. Carney is due to visit Sydney and Canberra and hold talks with Albanese. It will be the ninth meeting between the two leaders.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, said an airbase used by the Australian defence force near Dubai was hit by a drone strike over the weekend, but said all personnel are “safe and accounted for”.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, rejected the idea that industrial silos being demolished to build 8,500 new homes in inner Sydney have architectural value, indicating that further sites in the city may have to come down to build more housing.
Virgin Australia, which partners with Qatar Airways, cancelled six more flights into and out of Doha, Qatar, as airspace over the country remains closed. Routes between Doha and Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth were all subject to cancellations, with affected guests contacted directly about their travel options.
The NSW government said consumers can continue to feel confident enjoying locally grown berries, with laboratory testing confirming the state’s berries meet food safety standards for pesticide residues.
Anthony Albanese tabled a Liberal election review in question time, making it public. The Liberal federal executive decided to shelve their election review and keep it a secret, but the report was leaked.
Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We will be back tomorrow to do it all again.
Updated
Geelong explosions caused by burning vehicle on back of a truck spreading to nearby gas bottles, firefighters say
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) has released a statement in regards to the fire in Geelong we mentioned earlier in the blog.
It said:
FRV was called at 3.28pm, after callers to Triple Zero (000) reported a car fire with further callers reporting explosions and plumes of smoke billowing into the air.
Crews arrived on scene within five minutes to find a vehicle on the back of a truck on fire with flames spreading to nearby gas bottles causing multiple explosions.
Firefighters are working to bring the incident under control.
An emergency warning has been issued for the corner of Thompson Road and Armstrong Street, North Geelong.
Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria are also on scene assisting firefighters with the response.
Updated
