As it happened: ADF torpedo surfaces on beach; Penny Wong cautions steel deal will be challenging

Thanks for joining us today. Here’s a recap of the main events.

• Qatar acquisition of Virgin stake: Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the deal for a 25 per cent stake in Virgin Airlines was made “in the national economic interest”.
• Wong lashes Dutton: The foreign minister has accused the Coalition of seeking political advantage from the warships’ exercises with inflammatory rhetoric on China.
• Marles defends handling of Chinese warships: The defence minister defended the government’s handling of the surprise exercise in the Tasman Sea on Friday.
• Private schools and “class-war rhetoric”: Seventeen seats have been designated “ground zero” in a campaign to pressure major parties to shore up billions of dollars in public funding.
• Transparency on interest rate decisions: RBA deputy governor Andrew Hauser has opposed the disclosure of board members’ views on rate decisions.

Update 6pm: Liquidators have confirmed that Australia’s only architectural glass manufacturer will soon be no more, with 56 jobs to be made redundant immediately.

AWU state secretary Ronnie Hayden.Credit: Joe Armao

Grant Thornton Australia confirmed that it was unable to find a buyer for Oceania Glass, which employs 260 people in Dandenong South.

A spokesperson said there was “the potential for a further 95 redundancies over the coming weeks as the Company’s float line and production facility is wound down”.

Oceania also has a distribution business, negotiations for the sale of which are continuing.

“We acknowledge this latest outcome is stressful for employees and their families and are providing support services to those affected,” said Lisa Gibb, joint and several voluntary administrator.

On Thursday afternoon, AWU state secretary Ronnie Hayden called on the Victorian and federal governments to “hammer out a plan to keep these doors open”.

“From where we stand, the administrator barely kicked the tyres before looking for the easy way out,” Hayden said in a statement.

The administrators were appointed on February 4, and say Oceania owed more than $100 million to creditors, including employees.

Victoria’s Department of Health has declared a measles outbreak after two new cases were reported.

The department said the cases had no history of overseas travel or known contact with other cases of measles.

Rashes occur several days after infection, with coughing and sinus symptoms appearing first.Credit: Queensland Health

It said people who hadn’t received two vaccine doses were particularly at risk, and that Victorians born between 1966 and 1992 were at a higher risk of being in this category.

The cases were infectious at locations around Melbourne and the regional city of Bendigo, including Royal Melbourne and Bendigo hospitals’ emergency departments, and several locations in the Bendigo suburbs of Epsom and Kangaroo Flat.

“Suspected cases should be tested, advised to isolate, and notified to the Department of Health immediately by calling 1300 651 160,” the department said.

The federal government is preparing for a flotilla of Chinese warships to circumnavigate Australia in coming days, as Foreign Minister Penny Wong accused the Coalition of “beating the drums of war” in its response to the naval group’s surprise live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea.

Noting that the three Chinese navy ships – a frigate, cruiser and replenishment vessel – were now 500 kilometres west of Hobart after travelling down the east coast since mid-February, Defence Minister Richard Marles told Sky News that “it’s completely possible that they, given where they are now, that they do end up circumnavigating the continent”.

Chinese frigate Hengyang was spotted 150 nautical miles off the coast of Sydney on February 11.Credit: ADF

Marles said HMAS Stuart, an Anzac-class frigate, was shadowing the flotilla to observe its movements and ultimately discern why it had travelled so far from the Chinese mainland.

The US Virginia-class submarine USS Minnesota arrived at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia on Tuesday for a port visit, underlining how both the US and China see Australia as an increasingly important geostrategic location.

Marles rejected opposition accusations that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had misled the public about the level of warning China gave about last week’s drills, saying: “The prime minister made clear that there was a notification from the Chinese, but in the same breath made clear that that notification was inadequate, and whilst it complied with international law, it did not comply with the standards that we bring to bear here.”

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Fresh off a demoralising trio of losses in the United States, the Matildas will be without a permanent head coach for at least another international window.

But interim boss Tom Sermanni is adamant now is the right time to iron out any issues before preparations for next year’s Asian Cup – to be held in Australia – ramp up.

Interim coach Tom Sermanni and the Matildas after their 2-1 loss to the US on Monday.Credit: Getty Images

On the same day that Football Australia marked a year to go until that event’s kick-off, the Matildas slumped to their third defeat in a week.

Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Colombia in San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium followed a 2-1 defeat to the United States and a 4-0 thumping at the hands of Japan.

Sermanni was frustrated with how his team “went to sleep” defensively when on top and conceded a “cheap” winner just four minutes after equalising.

“Probably in hindsight, better being frustrating now and hopefully try to fix it by the time the Asian Cup comes around next year,” he said.

AAP

Rome: Pope Francis has shown further slight improvement as he battles double pneumonia, but doctors say his prognosis is still guarded.

A chest CT scan taken on Tuesday evening showed the “normal evolution” of an infection as it was being treated, the Vatican said in an update on Thursday AEDT. The 88-year-old Pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, was still receiving high flows of supplemental oxygen but had not had any more respiratory crises since Saturday.

Blood tests, which had shown some low platelet counts and anaemia, had confirmed an improvement, and the slight kidney insufficiency detected a few days ago had receded, the statement said.

Pope Francis was continuing to receive respiratory physiotherapy, the statement said. It was the first time the Vatican had confirmed he was receiving physiotherapy to help him expel fluid from his lungs.

A complex lung infection has kept the Pope hospitalised in a critical condition since February 14.

AP

Taiwan on Thursday condemned China’s military exercises after Beijing designated an area to conduct shooting drills off the self-governed island’s south-west coast.

China considers the island a renegade province to be taken by force if necessary, and, in recent years, has increased military activity around Taiwan’s waters and airspace.

Anti-landing barriers on a beach in Kinmen, Taiwan. Across the Taiwan Strait are the buildings of Xiamen, China.Credit: Bloomberg

“China is the biggest troublemaker for regional peace and stability, and the sole and greatest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region,” Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said in its statement.

Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said in a 24-hour period it detected 45 aircraft, 14 navy vessels and one ship from the Chinese military operating around Taiwan, of which 34 had crossed into its waters and airspace.

Taiwan said that it “responded accordingly” without elaborating.

Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency, reported that senior Chinese official Wang Huning during an annual meeting about Taiwan had called for China to take the initiative in cross-strait relations and push toward the “reunification of the motherland”.

Taiwan this week also said it caught a Chinese-owned vessel severing an undersea cable and detained the ship. Beijing has accused Taiwan of exaggerating the situation before facts have been clarified in an attempt at “political manipulation”.

AP

A new album called Is This What We Want? features a stellar list of more than 1000 musicians — and the sound of silence.

With contributions from British artists including Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Cat Stevens and Damon Albarn, the album was released Tuesday to protest proposed British changes to artificial intelligence laws that artists fear will erode their creative control.

Kate Bush, pictured on stage in April 1979.Credit: Getty

The UK government is consulting on whether to let tech firms use copyrighted material to help train AI models unless the creators explicitly opt out.

Critics of the idea fear that will make it harder for artists to retain control of their work and will undermine Britain’s creative industries. Elton John and Paul McCartney are among those who have spoken out against the plan.

The protest album features “almost silence,” said composer, AI developer and album organiser Ed Newton-Rex. The 12 tracks consist of recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, “to symbolise what we expect will happen if the government’s proposals go through”.

The titles of the 12 tracks spell out: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.”

Profits will be donated to the musicians’ charity Help Musicians.

AP

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has stressed it will be extremely challenging for Australia to secure an exemption to Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs, as it did during his first term in office.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong says Australia has an even bigger hill to climb than during President Trump’s first administration.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Trump is set to finalise the tariffs on March 12, giving the government two weeks to lock in an exemption. An announcement could come during a federal election if Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calls one this weekend or next weekend.

Wong said there was “cause for optimism” because Trump confirmed he would give an exemption “great consideration” in a phone call with Albanese.

But she added: “We’re also realistic, this will be a challenge, and it will take time. You would have seen strong views articulated from within the US administration on tariffs generally, and also in relation to Australia.

“I would also underscore that it took the Turnbull government some time to negotiate a carve-out, and given what has happened in the intervening period I suppose I’d say we have an even greater hill to climb.”

Back to Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who addressed the media earlier today.

Chalmers has been busy prosecuting Australia’s “strong” case relating to steel and aluminum exports to the US, and returned this morning from talks with his American counterparts, where he stressed Australia’s exceptionalism.

Jim Chalmers and Kevin Rudd at the Australian Super Summit in Washington DC this week.Credit: Michael Butcher Photography.

“Australia has a very strong case to make about why we are different to some of the other countries that are of greater concern to our American friends,” Chalmers told the media.

“Americans run a trade surplus with us; they have done since the Truman administration. Our steel and aluminium sectors are not big competitors with theirs. In fact, our businesses – Rio, BlueScope and others – are making a positive contribution and investing in local communities in the US.

“We’re an enthusiastic partner when it comes to defence, [and] it’s an economic relationship of mutual benefit full of big opportunities. And so that’s the case that I was able to make to Secretary [of the Treasury Scott] Bessent and Director [of the National Economic Council Kevin] Hassett.”

Australia has been trying to dodge 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, due to start on March 12.

Chalmers was at pains to say Australia takes no outcome for granted in these negotiations.

“At the end of the day, President Trump will make a final call about Australia’s bid.”