Australia news LIVE: AUKUS deal in doubt; arrests in LA; Liberals to launch radical review
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7.00am
AUKUS in doubt as US starts review
Amber Schultz
The United States has launched a snap review into whether the $368 billion AUKUS submarine deal should be changed or scrapped.
The review follows renewed demands from the Trump administration that America's allies in the Indo-Pacific – including Australia – significantly increase defence spending.
'The department is reviewing AUKUS as part of ensuring that this initiative of the previous administration is aligned with the President's America First agenda,' a US defence official confirmed.
The review was first reported by The Financial Times on Wednesday (Thursday AEST), which said it would be headed by defence undersecretary Elbridge Colby and take about 30 days.
6.46am
Beach Boys visionary leader Brian Wilson dies
By Amber Schultz
Beach Boys' visionary leader Brian Wilson has died age 82.
Through his summer anthems including 'Good Vibrations,' and 'California Girls,' Wilson became one of the world's most influential recording artists across the 1960s.
Wilson's family posted news of his death to his website and social media accounts, but further details weren't immediately available. Since May 2024, Wilson had been under a court conservatorship to oversee his personal and medical affairs.
The Beach Boys rank among the most popular groups of the rock era, with more than 30 singles in the Top 40 and worldwide sales of more than 100 million.
He is the eldest and last surviving of three musical brothers. Brian played bass, Carl lead guitar and Dennis drums.
AP
6.46am
Radical investigation into Liberal party
By Amber Schultz
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Opposition Leader Sussan Ley will order a radical investigation into the future of the Liberal Party as she seeks to rebuild it after its historic electoral loss.
The review is expected to assess the error-ridden 2025 campaign, its ailing state divisions, campaign tools, brand and messaging which led to the Liberals holding just 44 seats in parliament.
Queensland senator James McGrath is being considered as a candidate to spearhead the wider review.
'The party needs to get its shit together,' McGrath said last month.
6.45am
This morning's headlines at a glance
By Amber Schultz
Good morning readers. I'm Amber Schultz, and I'll be keeping you up with news this morning.
Today's headlines are:
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Australia's submarine deal with the US in doubt, with the United States launching a review into whether the AUKUS submarine deal should be changed or scrapped.
In the US, National Guard members have temporarily detained civilians in the Los Angeles protests. 4,700 National Guard troops and Marines have been deployed to the area amid immigration protests which turned into riots.
Still in LA, a fourth Australian journalist has been injured while covering the unrest. A Nine cameraman was struck in the leg with a ricocheting rubber bullet, causing bruises.
Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson has died aged 82. The Beach Boys were responsible for 1960s hits including 'Surfin' U.S.A.,' 'California Girls' and 'Fun, Fun, Fun'.
Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty in a sex crime retrial in the US. The movie mogul was found guilty of the top charge, but acquitted of a second charge involving a different victim. The jury is still deliberating on a third charge. The 73-year-old was first found guilty in 2020 in a landmark case for the #MeToo movement but was granted a retrial.
The Department of Veterans' Affairs has reported a move to slash waiting times for veterans who have made compensation claims has led to 'behaviours of concern' by advocacy business models who are lodging claims for excessive numbers of conditions and sending sensitive data offshore, The Australian reports.
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Sydney Morning Herald
17 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
US acted alone, Albanese declares while abandoning neutral stance on attack
The US acted alone to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities, Anthony Albanese has declared, as he refused to say whether Australia received advance notice but departed from the government's neutral position to back US President Donald Trump's strikes. The shift was confirmed by Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Monday, a day after an unnamed government spokesperson released a statement that called for peace and remained neutral on the strike. Wong and Albanese declined to say how close Iran was to making a nuclear bomb or whether the joint US-Australia intelligence base at Pine Gap in the Northern Territory was used to garner intelligence for it at a press conference at which they were peppered with questions. 'The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that – that is what this is,' Albanese said. 'The US action was directed at specific sites central to Iran's nuclear program. We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. 'We are upfront, but we don't talk about intelligence, obviously, but we have made very clear this was unilateral action taken by the United States,' Albanese repeatedly answered when asked whether Australia had been briefed on the US' decision to strike Iran. Loading British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed he was briefed just before the strike. Albanese said: 'The UK has been one of the countries that's been at the negotiating table with Iran for many years on its nuclear weapons program'. The government's shift from neutrality to full support emphasises Australia's close alliance with the US, echoing its stance before the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. When Trump confirmed the strikes on the weekend, the Australian government gave a statement that reiterated Iran's missile and ballistic missile programs were dangerous, but was neutral on the US decision to attack them.
7NEWS
19 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
Expert's advice to Aussie motorists concerned about fuel prices surging
Australian motorists worried about tensions in the Middle East affecting prices at the pump have been sent a clear message: 'Fill up now.' US President Donald Trump 's administration carried out an attack on three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday. It comes after Israel launched attacks on Iran earlier this month. Oil prices are expected to rise as a result of the escalation in conflict, however experts have spoken out to ease fears of immediate surges. 'It's really important for Australians today to understand that what we have seen again over the weekend, while it is another escalation above and beyond the escalation we saw the weekend before it, this is the Middle East,' NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said. 'Unfortunately, flare-ups are all too often and all too common.' The regional benchmark for oil in Australia, Tapis, is expected to increase in price by tonight, Khoury said. 'We don't know by how much,' he said. Based on what we're seeing out of the US, it could be $3 or $4 a barrel.' Why could petrol prices rise? A possible way for Iran to retaliate against the US and Israel is to close off the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a vital trade route used to transport 20 per cent of the world's crude oil, or about 20 million barrels per day. The Iranian parliament has backed closing the strait in response to the US attacks, though this must be approved by Iran's national security council. Oil prices could shoot above $100 per barrel if the strait is closed for a prolonged period, according to Goldman Sachs and consulting firm Rapidan Energy. JPMorgan analysts view the risk of Iran closing Hormuz as low because the US would view such a move as a declaration of war. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called on China to help prevent Iran from closing the strait. Rubio said it would be 'economic suicide' for Iran to close the strait because the Islamic Republic's oil exports also pass through the waterway. Currently, it remains open. Khoury said this is 'the most important thing'. 'We do not want Australians panicking,' he said. 'Yes, there is speculation about what could happen in the next days and weeks, but it is the Middle East and anything can happen. 'The other important thing for Australians to know tonight is that if you live in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth, fill up now.' A combination of prices being at or near the bottom of the cycle and turmoil in the Middle East mean now is the time to buy. 'Prices are either in the high $1.60s or in the low $1.70s,' Khoury said. 'That has everything to do with the domestic price cycles in those capital cities. 'The wholesale price in Australia has gone up about eight cents a litre since two Fridays ago when the escalation really flared up between Israel and Iran. 'It will go up again, is the expectation, based on the US decision to attack Iran over the weekend. 'But it's only gone up eight cents a litre in the last week and a bit. 'There's a lot of speculation about what could happen. It's really important that Australians focus on what is happening. 'And what is happening if you live in those bigger cities is that prices are pretty good.' Khoury advised motorists to check fuel prices near them and find the best deal. 'You can find some real bargains,' he said. 'On any given day, there can be huge gaps in the price of the cheapest service station and the price of the most expensive. 'In Sydney today, it's 70 cents a litre. 'Regardless of what's going on in the Middle East or anywhere else, and regardless of where we are in the price cycle, do your research, use the information that you have access to that motorists in other countries don't have. 'We fought hard to get that made public. It's there for you to use.' When asked when the conflict overseas will affect local prices, Khoury said it normally takes about seven to 10 days. Our service stations are yet to buy the more expensive barrels but when that happens, it will have a flow on effect. 'The NRMA will be monitoring those prices really carefully over the next days and weeks, because what we won't tolerate, obviously, is oil companies manipulating what's going on overseas to put their prices up any higher than they should go,' he said. Could we see a global oil crisis? Khoury also emphasised that even if the strait is closed, it would not create a similar crisis to those caused by other recent global conflicts. 'In 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, Russia being the second-largest producer of oil,' he said. 'That created an initial shock.' 'Obviously, the world was going to enforce sanctions, and they did. That created an even bigger shock. 'At the same time that that happened, the COVID supply crisis that affected the whole world hit its peak. So we all came out of COVID lockdown at the same time. 'The whole world came out of lockdown at the same time. Demand for oil spiked. Supply could not keep up. So we had probably the worst supply issue or challenge in our lifetime. 'And then Russia invaded Ukraine. 'All of those things had to happen at the same time for Tapis, our regional oil price, to hit $133 a barrel. 'It's currently at $76 a barrel. 'So to get back to those record high prices that we saw back in 2022, you would need a catastrophe at that level to affect global supply. 'We're not there yet, clearly, based on oil prices and the wholesale price. 'And I think that's what we want Australians to focus on tonight.'
Sydney Morning Herald
28 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Albanese doesn't want a bar of Middle East conflict, but that comes at a cost
Anthony Albanese's government looks more distant than ever from the Trump administration following the United States' decision to join Israel in bombing Iranian nuclear facilities. On the face of it, nothing much has changed. Albanese, joined by Penny Wong, announced Australia's support for US strikes on Monday morning because 'the world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that'. But make no mistake, there are small but subtle shifts under way in the US-Australia relationship now that Donald Trump is back in the White House. The fact he has not met Albanese face to face surely has not helped. Whatever you think about Trump – and a solid majority of Australians don't like him one bit – the US remains our major military and strategic partner. It is (probably) still selling us submarines under the AUKUS deal that the government views as crucial to Australia's self-defence. So it matters when Albanese spoke curtly on Monday to point out three times that the US decision to bomb Iran was unilateral, all but confirming that Australia was not briefed ahead of time by the US. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, by contrast, got a heads-up. Last week, when Albanese was asked if Australia could send a ship to the Middle East in support of the US, he gave a categorical 'no'. That answer made clear the prime minister's view of Australia's potential entanglement in the fight: he doesn't see a need for it in this age of 'progressive patriotism'. Loading It was strange, then, that Albanese appeared almost annoyed in his press conference that he had been left out of the loop on the US decision to strike even as he confirmed that 'we aren't a central player in this conflict – that's just a fact.' When the prime minister was asked for a third time why the federal government had waited 24 hours before expressing unequivocal support for the US bombing, he bit back, arguing 'we issued a statement' on Sunday within hours of the strikes.
