'Hard not to panic': Australian farmers hit first as fuel supplies dry up

'Hard not to panic': Australian farmers hit first as fuel supplies dry up

Some farmers say they only have a week of fuel left as shortages hit important farming areas first, raising concerns about supply issues Australia-wide.

Fuel prices are soaring and supply is plummeting due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with regional and rural Australians being hit the hardest.

A Queensland cattle farmer has said he is beginning to worry about how his farm near Toowoomba will cope beyond this week if they do not receive fuel, and is questioning the decision being made into how fuel is getting distributed across the country.

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Queensland cattle farmer Layton Free admits he is already having to ration the fuel supply he has left.

"It's a little bit hard not to panic," Layton Free said on Today. "I know [they] say we have enough fuel, but how come we're not getting it?

"Is someone manipulating the supply or is it not here?"

Free said he was already having to make decisions on what tasks to carry out on his farm and which ones to delay due to the shortage of fuel he is experiencing.

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He stresses that he is not the only one in the situation, saying suppliers in his area are feeling the pinch as well.

"Our suppliers are telling us that they are struggling to get their supplies. Some are getting zero, some are getting up to 10 per cent of their supplies," Free said.

"It's basically rationed out, and we're relying on our suppliers to do the right thing to give that fuel to where it's really needed.

"They've got a really big responsibility on their shoulders too."

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Free said he is trying to remain optimistic, but admits it is difficult as he claims the community has received "little to no" communication from any form of government.

The government has urged Australians not to panic buy fuel, saying reserves it petrol, diesel and jet fuel will last for more than a month.

Rishworth, Karl clash over fuel divide as government insists no crisis

Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth insisted there had only been a "spike in demand", and there was no reason for Australians to fear widespread supply shortages.

"Let's be really clear, there isn't an issue with supply when it comes to fuel," she said.

In a heated debate with Today Show host Karl Stefanovic, she insisted reports on the contrary were false.

"The suggestion that there is a crisis in fuel supply in this country is incorrect," she said.

"We have more fuel in this country than in the last 15 years," she claimed, though Stefanovic was unconvinced.

"What planet are you living on?" he said.

"That is a complete fabrication."

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Rescues and road closures as flooding rain moves across Queensland

Rescues and road closures as flooding rain moves across Queensland

Most of Queensland is on flood watch as the tropical low that hammered north Queensland last week moves south.

Large parts of central Queensland as well as the Darling Downs and parts of the south east coast have been warned to brace for locally intense rainfall and flash flooding with six-hourly rainfall totals of between 60 and 150mm overnight and today.

In the south-east the 24-hour rainfall total could reach around 250mm on already wet catchments.

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A number of roads are closed on the Sunshine Coast and across the South Burnett, including all lanes of the Burnett Highway at Booubyjan, and there have been more than 100 calls for assistance to the SES.

A photo posted to social media shows a person sitting atop their submerged car at Boonara Creek on Murgon-Gayndah Road south of Booubyjan.

Video shows water cascading off Mt Coolum on the Sunshine Coast while the saturated ground has caused trees to come down across Brisbane.

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Emergency flood watch and act warnings were issued overnight and this morning for the South Burnett as well as Chinchilla and Sapphire, urging people to prepare for flash flooding and avoid driving.

The severe weather warning extends from Clermont and Rockhampton in the north, south through Emerald and Gladstone, into Bundaberg, Gympie, Kingaroy and the Sunshine Coast.

The rain is expected to continue throughout today and tonight before easing tomorrow as the low moves offshore.

brisbane rain

Flood Warnings are current for: Burdekin downstream of Burdekin Falls Dam, Don and Proserpine, Pioneer, Connors, Isaac and Styx and Plane, Baffle, Kolan, Burnett, Burrum and Cherwell, Mary, Noosa, Upper Brisbane, Paroo, Nicholson, Upper Flinders, Lower Flinders, Norman, Georgina and Eyre, Diamantina, Thomson and Barcoo.

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'Apocalyptic' scenes as Iran's capital pummeled by air strikes

'Apocalyptic' scenes as Iran's capital pummeled by air strikes

Iran's capital continues to be smashed by US and Israeli bombardment, with a strike on an oil refinery lighting up the night sky.

The site in Tehran was one of several oil storage sites and refineries struck over the weekend, with a huge fireball sending plumes of smoke and ash into the air and being visible from across the city.

Thick plumes of black smoke were swept over the city, resulting in the rare weather phenomenon of black rain, or "acid rain" falling over the city.

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Tehran's night sky lit up as the city's oil refineries were hit.Fires raged across Tehran as US and Israeli airstrikes continued.

The fires are continuing to burn into the night in Tehran.

As the war enters its second week, the bombardment of Iran has continued, with the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) claiming to have destroyed the headquarters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Air Force Headquarters in a strike.

The facility in Tehran operated "the ballistic missile command, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) array, and other air force units," according to IDF spokesman, Brigadier-General Effie Defrin

Around 140 targets were hit on Sunday alone, Defrin said.

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US strikes also continue to have an impact, with an attack on a warship reportedly killing 104 people.

Around 32 people were injured as the IRS Dena was sunk last week, according to semi-official sources in Iran. 

The US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency estimates over 1200 civilians have been killed in the strikes since the conflict broke out last Saturday, including 194 children.

Reported with Associated Press and CNN

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Tourists will soon be slugged a fee to visit iconic Australian landmark

Tourists will soon be slugged a fee to visit iconic Australian landmark

Thinking of visiting the Twelve Apostles on Victoria's Great Ocean Road? It will soon cost you.

The Victorian government is about to impose a "tourist tax" on the iconic landmark, which attracts about 2 million visitors a year, in a bid to preserve it.

Just seven of the 12 original limestone landmarks remain standing.

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Visitors at Victoria's scenic coastline at Port Campbell. The popular tourist spot is slowly eroding over the years where visitors come to see the 12 Apostles.

Australian and international visitors will be charged to enter the new $126 million Twelve Apostles Visitor Experience Centre, which is due to open by the end of the year.

"It's only fair that visitors to the region pay a small fee to visit this world-class destination so that we can maintain it for future generations," Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos said.

"We're investing in the future of the Great Ocean Road region and making sure every single cent spent in the region stays there."

There will also be a new visitor booking system to manage numbers and parking during peak periods.

The price of entry hasn't been confirmed yet, and will be decided in consultation with local councils, businesses, and traditional owners.

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Tourists could be slugged fee to visit the Twelve Apostles

But Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism chairman Andrew Jeffers acknowledged "no one likes being charged for something that was free in the past".

"This is a fee for the visitor centre that's being proposed," he said.

"It doesn't limit their access to other parts of the Great Ocean Road. There's no fee being proposed for that."

Revenue will be collected by the Great Ocean Road Parks and Coastal Authority.

It will fund beach access and visitor facility upgrades in the area, as well as the maintenance of historic landmarks.

Jeffers said some of the money will also go towards upkeep on the recently constructed visitor centre.

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Visitors at Victoria's scenic coastline at Port Campbell. The popular tourist spot is slowly eroding over the years where visitors come to see the 12 Apostles.

A select number of Australians will be exempt from the fee.

Local residents and members of the Eastern Maar community, who are the traditional owners in south-western Victoria, will not be charged.

This isn't the first natural landmark in Australia to impose a "tourist tax".

Entry fees also apply at major tourist locations like Kosciuszko National Park in NSW and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory.

Park fees at Kosciuszko National Park start from $29 per vehicle per day in the winter peak, and $17 per vehicle per day during the rest of the year.

A three-day park pass for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is $38.

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'Stay inside': Large parts of Queensland brace for severe rain, flash floods

'Stay inside': Large parts of Queensland brace for severe rain, flash floods

Parts of south-east Queensland and the interior of the state are preparing for flash flooding as heavy rain continues to batter the state.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for large parts of the south coast, including the Sunshine Coast, as a tropical low continues to make its way over the state.

Maroochydore could see up to 130mm of rain today, with the BOM warning isolated falls could reach 150mm on the Sunshine Coast.

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Residents in flood affected areas of Queensland have been urged not to drive through flood waters.

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The impacts could be serious and lead to flash flooding.

"There is some uncertainty where the heaviest rainfall will occur, particularly through the southeast of the state," the BOM warned, saying the worst of the weather could last into tomorrow morning.

Further inland, Toowoomba, Kingaroy and Roma are also facing the risk of floods from the heavy rainfall, with falls of up to 170mm possible in some areas in just 24 hours.

Further inland, heavy rains are also smashing the norther interior, with around 50mm falling in around six hours this morning.

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Parts of the northern interior were pelted with over 100mm of rain in around six hours overnight.

The danger zone is east of Mount Isa, with towns like Winton and Cloncurry all warned to brace for heavy rain and flooding conditions.

Sardine Creek, a small township in the region, recorded over 100mm of rain in just six hours overnight.

The BOM has issued several instructions to residents in impacted regions, urging them not to drive into floodwaters.

"Go inside a strong building now. Stay inside until the storm has passed," they said.

Explosion rocks Dubai international airport, passengers forced to take shelter

Explosion rocks Dubai international airport, passengers forced to take shelter

Travellers sheltered in tunnels when an Iranian drone appeared to strike Dubai International Airport yesterday.

Footage on social media showed an explosion and smoke close to the terminal. A whirring sound is heard seconds before the blast in the video.

Blasts were heard in several parts of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, reports the Independent.

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Travellers at the international airport, one of the world's busiest and a main travel hub through the Middle East, were ushered down into train tunnels after the alert sounded.

UAE airline Emirates later resumed operations after briefly suspending all flights to and from Dubai.

"Dubai Airports confirms partial resumption of operations from today, 7 March, with some flights operating out of Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC)," a Dubai Airports spokesperson said.

The apparent Iranian attack came after the country's President apologised to neighbours in the region for striking them, declaring Iran would stop them and they had been caused by command chain miscommunications.

There were attacks yesterday in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

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Oil storage plant blast in Iran after Trump warning

Oil storage plant blast in Iran after Trump warning

A new wave of United States and Israeli strikes have shaken Tehran overnight after President Donald Trump warned "Iran will be hit very hard".

The Iranian state-affiliated Fars News Agency said US and Israeli bombing targeted an oil refinery in southern Tehran.

Massive plumes of flames lit up the sky in Tehran on Saturday night after the Iranian state news agency said that an oil storage facility was targeted in latest round of strikes. AP video showed the horizon glowing, then pillars of flame and billowing smoke.

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It is among the first times a civil industrial facility has been targeted in the war.

Israel's military did not immediately comment on the targets of the latest strike, but said Israel had recently launched another round of strikes in Tehran.

Iran state media in response threatened to hit oil refineries in the northern Israeli city of Haifa.

The strikes lasted for about an hour, with thuds in the east, south and north-west of the city.

Earlier, Trump warned in a social media post on Saturday that more Iranian officials would become targets in the war, writing: "Today Iran will be hit very hard!"

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In his comments on his Truth Social website, Trump noted the apology by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for attacks on regional neighbours.

"Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran's bad behaviour, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time," Trump wrote, without elaborating.

Meanwhile, a video posted on social media yesterday appeared to show an Iranian exploding at Dubai International Airport.

- With AP, CNN

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Tony went through 'hell' due to unnecessary surgery as a child

Tony went through 'hell' due to unnecessary surgery as a child

Tony Briffa said she has gone through "hell" after an unnecessary medical procedure led to decades of consequences. 

Born with lumps in a Victorian hospital, doctors confirmed she had an intersex variation called Androgen Insensitivity - a rare condition that prevents the body from responding to the male hormones.

She had a female body, but had internal testes rather than ovaries.

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Tony Briffa said she has gone through "hell" after an unnecessary medical procedure at birth led to decades of consequences. 

Misinformation and pressure from doctors meant Briffa spent her early years undergoing surgeries and examinations.

She had her healthy testes removed at just seven and was put on hormone therapy at 11 - which she still has to take to this day or risk bone density issues.

"Every three months, I'd basically be lying on the examination table, naked legs wide open, and having all these medical students or whatever, looking at me," she told 9news.com.au.

"None of this was because it was medically required.

"Had they not removed my testes, I would have gone through a normal feminising puberty anyway, because with Androgen Insensitivity, my body would automatically convert testosterone into estrogen."

That one surgery led to years of gender confusion, low self-esteem, body image issues and relationship problems that persisted until she was in her mid-40s.

"I wanted to be normal. I didn't want to have to be so different and have to hide who I am and what I am. I just felt like I was such a freak," she said.

"I spent some years living as a male, not very successfully, but I did.

"It affected relationships. One of the things about relationships is people - straight or gay or lesbian or whatever - all that's predicated on someone's sex, so when your sex is up in the air, that does make relationships challenging."

Tony Briffa said she has gone through "hell" after an unnecessary medical procedure at birth led to decades of consequences. 

When Briffa was engaged to be married in 2013, she discovered her birth certificate listed her gender as "indeterminate".

Under Australia's marriage laws at the time, she could not marry her partner in Australia unless she identified as a man so the pair were forced to visit New Zealand

Despite decades of hurdles, Briffa was resilient.

Now 55, she has found self-acceptance, is happily married, and has adopted her son.

She served two terms as mayor of Hobsons Bay City Council, one as a woman and one as a man, as well as three terms as deputy mayor.

She also served in the Australian Defence Force, the Australian Federal Police and as chair or member of several LGBTQI+ and intersex organisations. 

Briffa said she never believed she would have the remarkable life she has today.

"I was not sick, I wasn't deformed, I didn't have an abnormality, and I would have had a much better life had doctors in society just treated it that way," she said. 

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Tony Briffa and her wife.

Most states and territories behind on major reforms

Briffa's story is not a unique one. Many intersex Australians have been subjected to unnecessary and defereable surgeries at birth - before they could consent. 

About 63,300 Australians, or 0.3 per cent of those aged over 16, have reported being intersex, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' latest LGBTQI+ estimates and characteristics report in 2024.

Intersex is an umbrella term for anyone who has natural variations in their reproductive or sexual anatomy that do not exclusively fit the male or female definition. 

There are at least 40 known variations that occur in an estimated two per cent of all births.

Victoria last month became the first major state to pass landmark reforms for intersex people.

The rules restrict any permanent or hard-to-reverse medical treatments that alter sex characteristics in children, only approve treatment if the person faces significant physical or psychological harm, provide clearer options and information to families and create an independent expert panel that oversees medical treatment plans.

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Victorian parliament voted for the changes to intersex surgeries in late February.

They do not apply to any urgent and medically necessary care.

Briffa was in the gallery of Victorian parliament when it passed the laws and became emotional just speaking about it.

"I've been working on these changes for 26 years," she said. 

"I never allowed myself to think about it passing. I think about all the people, the families that I've supported over the years, including people that are not still with us, and this is for them.

"This is going to be remarkable for kids, and I hope that other jurisdictions around Australia will follow suit."

It follows similar legislation in the ACT.

The territory was the first in the country to protect intersex people from deferrable surgeries until they can consent.

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Tropical lows put NT on major flood alert, Queenslanders in line for three-day drenching

Tropical lows put NT on major flood alert, Queenslanders in line for three-day drenching

South-east Queensland is in line for three days of drenching and Katherine in the Northern Territory is facing a flood disaster as twin tropical lows that saturated the country's north continues to dump torrential rain.

Far North Queensland was lashed by 300mm of rain in a single day yesterday as the slow-moving trough travelled across the state.

The Daintree region was hit with a deluge of 300 to 400mm of rain in just 24 hours, including more than 200 mm in six hours.

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Queensland flooding

There is some reprieve for residents in northern areas like Cairns and Townsville, where most of the rain has passed and a severe weather warning has been cancelled.

The tropical low is trending toward Capricornia and Wide Bay and adjacent interior today, before moving into South East Queensland tomorrow.

Queensland flooding

The Bureau of Meteorology warning of "significant widespread flooding" over the next few days, with places like the Sunshine Coast expected to be lashed with 200 mm rain in the next 72 hours.

Heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding is likely in Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and Gladstone.

Gladstone was already battered by almost 130mm in six hours overnight.

"We are going to see the moisture associated with the remnants of this tropical low get spread across broad parts of eastern, central and the northern interior of Queensland," senior meteorologist Harry Clark said.

Brisbane is forecast to receive between 10 to 20mm of rain today, 15 to 70mm tomorrow and between 10 and 60mm on Monday.

A severe weather warning is in place for heavy rainfall in the Gulf Country, Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders and North West districts.

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Queensland rainfall

Locations such as Georgetown, Hughenden, Richmond, Croydon, Gregory Springs and Forsayth could see six-hourly rainfall totals between 70 and 100 mm, with isolated totals up to 130 mm possible.

A flood watch is in place for most of Queensland, with major riverine flood warnings earmarked for the Flinders River, Thomson River and Coopers Creek, and Georgina River and Eyre Creek.

The torrential downpour saw the Daintree River swell to 13 metres on Thursday night, causing the local ferry in the Douglas Shire near Port Douglas to tear off its moorings.

Daintree flooding

"Our ferry came off its moorings and collided with another boat and pontoon," Douglas Shire Council Mayor Lisa Scomazzon said.

"At the moment we're waiting for the river to become safe so crews can go in and assess the damage.

"It's a big shock to our community because that's the only form access they have to Mossman and Port Douglas."

Major flooding inundates Katherine

Meanwhile, Katherine in the Northern Territory is facing its worst flood disaster in decades.

The Katherine River has already surpassed flood levels seen in 2000 at Katherine Bridge, where heights of 18.37 metres have been recorded.

That could surge as high as 19.20 metres by this evening, the Bureau has warned.

In nearby Nitmiluk, the river has flooded above the April 2006 flood level of 9.5m and rapidly rising.

A major flood warning is in place for the outback town, 300km south of Darwin, as well as nearby Nitmiluk, as the Katherine River rises rapidly.

Further rainfall is expected today, which may cause the river to swell even more.

A severe weather warning for the western Top End has been cancelled after heavy rainfall eased.

Parts of Arnhem Land were hit by between 100 to 155mm of rain in just six hours overnight.

Major flooding is expected along the Daly River from this afternoon.

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Kristi Noem's sacking exposes first fissures in Trump's second term

Kristi Noem's sacking exposes first fissures in Trump's second term

Donald Trump's sacking of the public face of his immigration crackdown has exposed the first fissures in the cabinet of his second term.

Kristi Noem is the first cabinet member to be fired in the president's second term, lasting more than a year in the role.

It's a stark contrast from Trump 1.0, where the sacking of a cabinet member felt like an almost weekly occurrence.

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Donald Trump was reportedly increasingly frustrated with Kristi Noem.

But in his second term, the president has surrounded himself with those less likely to draw his ire.

His first cabinet was filled with establishment Republicans, technocrats and respected business figures.

But those officials were likely to behave like conventional cabinet members, pushing to maintain precedent and meekly accepting criticism.

His new cabinet is more in the Trump mould: true believers in the president's agenda with an aggressive attitude towards the media and Democratic politicians.

They would be expected to follow the Trump ethos – never admit fault, and never apologise.

But the Noem's handling of the Department of Homeland Security was too much for even Trump to defend.

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Kristi Noem has been one of the most high-profile members of the Trump cabinet.

Being maligned and despised by Democrats might not make the president raise an eyebrow - but Republicans are another matter altogether.

Appearing before a Senate hearing this week, Noem was sharply criticised by Republicans Thom Tillis and John Kennedy.

Her handling of the immigration crackdown across America has been highly unpopular and dogged by serious errors.

Not only have thousands of documented immigrants with no criminal background been detained and deported, but many American citizens have also been swept up in the raids.

Noem has also been the subject of unflattering headlines about her own leadership.

A Coast Guard pilot was fired for leaving Noem's blanket on a plane.

She also used $US220 million ($313 million) in taxpayer dollars on an ad ostensibly to promote the Department, but was seen as being self-serving.

The ad showed Noem riding a horse wearing a cowboy hat in her home state of South Dakota.

The ad contract was given without a competitive bidding process to the husband of prominent department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.

And this week, she would not outright deny under oath that she was having an affair with top advisor Corey Lewandowski. 

In spite of the scandals, Noem has been given a newly created role as "Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas".

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Kristi Noem has been sacked as Secretary of Homeland Security.

It is not known whether Noem knew about her sacking before it was announced, with her taking the stage for a speech at the time.

Noem's axing is the first major sign Trump is trying to get his administration back on track as his approval rating sits in the doldrums.

Republicans are likely to lose control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate in the coming midterm elections in November.

If successful, Democrats will be able to halt Trump's legislative agenda and potentially impeach him.

Already, it is appearing apparent Democratic voters are more motivated to turn out in November.

On Tuesday, more Democrats voted in Texas primary elections than Republicans, an alarming sign for the White House in their party's most important state.

Noem's nominated replacement is Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma senator who has been vocal in his support of Trump's war on Iran this week.

READ MORE: Furious Republican senator threatens to bring Trump agenda to a halt

Kristi Noem has been given a new role as a special envoy.

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