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.<\/a><\/p>\n The defence minister, Richard Marles, said an airbase used by the Australian defence force near Dubai was hit by a drone strike<\/a> over the weekend, but said all personnel are \u201csafe and accounted for\u201d.<\/p>\n The NSW premier, Chris Minns, rejected the idea that industrial silos being demolished<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/a><\/p>\n The NSW government said consumers can continue to feel confident enjoying locally grown berries, with laboratory testing confirming the state\u2019s berries meet food safety standards for pesticide residues.<\/a><\/p>\n Anthony Albanese tabled a Liberal election review in question time, making it public.<\/a> The Liberal federal executive decided to shelve their election review and keep it a secret, but the report was leaked.<\/p>\n Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We will be back tomorrow to do it all again.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a002.42 EST<\/p>\n Geelong explosions caused by burning vehicle on back of a truck spreading to nearby gas bottles, firefighters say<\/p>\n Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) has released a statement in regards to the fire in Geelong we mentioned earlier in the blog. <\/a><\/p>\n It said:<\/p>\n double quotation markFRV 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Firefighters are working to bring the incident under control.<\/p>\n An emergency warning has been issued for the corner of Thompson Road and Armstrong Street, North Geelong.<\/p>\n Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria are also on scene assisting firefighters with the response.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a002.33 EST<\/p>\n Radio network confirms Kyle and Jackie O show taken off air effective immediately<\/p>\n ARN Media has just announced that the Kyle and Jackie O show will be taken off air effective immediately.<\/p>\n In a statement to the ASX, ARN Media said Henderson has expressed she \u201ccannot continue to work\u201d with Kyle Sandilands and has been offered an alternative show on the ARN Network.<\/p>\n The media company also said it had written to Sandilands over his on-air behaviour on the 20 February program and he has been given 14 days to remedy it, during which he will not appear on air.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.10 EST<\/p>\n Health alert after new case of measles in Sydney\u2019s west<\/p>\n In a statement, NSW Health has advised people in western Sydney to be alert for signs and symptoms of measles after a new case has emerged.<\/p>\n It said:<\/p>\n double quotation markThis person has had no known contact with anyone else with measles and did not attend any known exposure locations in Sydney.<\/p>\n With the source of the infection unknown, it is likely measles is currently circulating within the community, and other people may have been unknowingly exposed to measles.<\/p>\n The person visited several locations across Western Sydney while unknowingly infectious, including healthcare facilities.<\/p>\n A full list of locations is available on the NSW Health website<\/a>. Exposure locations and times are updated regularly.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a001.40 EST<\/p>\n Emergency warning in Geelong after gas bottles explode and start fire<\/p>\n An emergency warning has been issued in Geelong, with emergency services asking people in the area around Thompson Road and Armstrong Street to leave immediately, after exploding gas bottles started an industrial fire.<\/p>\n The warning says people should:<\/p>\n Follow the instructions of police and emergency services who are at the scene. Leave immediately.<\/p>\n Move away from windows, glass doors and glass windows.<\/p>\n Take care to avoid debris that could be hot or sharp.<\/p>\n If you can do so safely, exit buildings in the area as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n When you leave, take your pets, mobile phone and medications.<\/p>\n Travel to the home of family or friends who are away from the warning area.<\/p>\n More info here.<\/a><\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a001.30 EST<\/p>\n Man shot dead by Queensland police after allegedly threatening officers<\/p>\n Queensland police have spoken about the death of a 21-year-old man who was shot by police in Brisbane on Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n Police were called to the home in Tingalpa on Tuesday morning for a welfare check. Police said they tried to negotiate with the man. At about 10.30am, the man allegedly made threats towards police while armed with a knife and was shot.<\/p>\n Speaking to the media, Acting Chief Supt Heath McQueen said:<\/p>\n double quotation markOur police, they attend incidents daily \u2026 these incidents are often dynamic in nature and split-second decisions need to be made in relation to those incidents.<\/p>\n I\u2019m confident that the use of force used is appropriate given the circumstances however, as I said, this will still be investigated by Ethical Standards Command with oversight of the [Crime and Corruption Commission].<\/p>\n I can confirm that one of the officers suffered a minor injury as a result of this incident today.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a000.58 EST<\/p>\n Chalmers warns petrol retailers not to \u2018gouge\u2019 motorists<\/p>\n Jim Chalmers has told the competition watchdog to keep an eye on petrol retailers to ensure they aren\u2019t using the jump in global oil prices as an excuse to \u201cgouge\u201d motorists.<\/p>\n In a letter to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the treasurer asked the watchdog to \u201cinvestigate any concerns arising about misrepresentations regarding petrol prices, false and misleading conduct or anti-competitive conduct in petrol markets, and to take appropriate action\u201d.<\/p>\n Pump prices have tracked higher over the past month, reflecting rising global oil prices as traders anticipated a US-Israeli attack on Iran, which duly began at the weekend.<\/p>\n Oil prices have jumped another 10% so far this week, and are close to $US80 a barrel, based on the international Brent crude benchmark.<\/p>\n That means petrol prices are likely to track higher still over the coming week as those wholesale prices feed through to the bowser.<\/p>\n \u201cThe recent spike \u2026 should not be used as an excuse for retailers to gouge customers or to increase prices opportunistically above and beyond the impact of events in the Middle East,\u201d Chalmers said in his letter.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a000.35 EST<\/p>\n Minns downplays retirement, says he wants to serve full term if re-elected next year<\/p>\n The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has downplayed comments in which he suggested he would retire some time after the next state election, which will take place this time next year.<\/p>\n Yesterday, at a press conference about the completion of tunnelling on the Metro West project, which is expected to open in 2032, Minns said he would not be premier by the time the metro was finished.<\/p>\n Asked by the ABC Sydney\u2019s Hamish Macdonald earlier today if his comments meant he was retiring, Minns said:<\/p>\n double quotation markNot imminently, no. I was asked a question about 2032, which I just want to \u2026 point out is in the middle of the next parliament, not even the one upcoming. So, look I\u2019ve got a difficult re-election campaign ahead of us in 2027. If we were to win that, and it\u2019s a big if, I would love to serve a full term, but in the long run, I don\u2019t know, it\u2019s up to the people of NSW.<\/p>\n Asked if serving a full term means he would also contest the 2031 state election, Minns said:<\/p>\n double quotation markWell, look, I\u2019d love to, but I \u2026 treat these things I hope in a humble way. If I come out and say I\u2019m going to hang around until 2032, half of your listeners are going to say: \u2018Wait, we get a say in that mate, don\u2019t get too ahead of yourself.\u2019<\/p>\n Chris Minns. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a000.22 EST<\/p>\n Victorian Greens to introduce bill aimed at strengthening corruption watchdog<\/p>\n The Greens are also focusing on corruption at Victorian parliament this week.<\/p>\n Tomorrow, they will introduce their \u201cending political corruption\u201d bill to the upper house for debate. They attempted to do so in the lower house this morning but Labor voted it down.<\/p>\n The bill would enact several of the recommendations made in a recent report<\/a> by the state\u2019s integrity and oversight committee, including giving the anti-corruption watchdog the power to investigate how third parties spend public funds, the ability to conduct more public hearings and expand its jurisdiction to investigate \u201cgrey\u201d corruption.<\/p>\n These were all reforms the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission\u2019s Victoria Elliott told the integrity and oversight committee yesterday were needed to investigate allegations of corruption on the government\u2019s Big Build sites.<\/p>\n Greens leader, Ellen Sandell, said:<\/p>\n double quotation markSomething is seriously wrong when our anti-corruption watchdog doesn\u2019t have the power to investigate billions of dollars going missing on Labor\u2019s major infrastructure projects and when Labor is this desperate for this to go away, it begs the question of what they are trying to hide.<\/p>\n Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell. Photograph: James Ross\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a000.10 EST<\/p>\n Thanks all for joining me on the blog today. I\u2019ll leave you with the lovely Cait Kelly for the afternoon.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll see you here bright and early tomorrow. Take care.<\/p>\n![\"Patrick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Patrick_Commins.png\")
Patrick Commins<\/p>\n![\"Penry](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Penry_Buckley.png\")
Penry Buckley<\/p>\n![\"Benita](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Benita_Kolovos.png\")
Benita Kolovos<\/p>\n![\"Krishani](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Krishani_Dhanji.png\")
Krishani Dhanji<\/p>\n