Fuel Crisis

• The European Union is coordinating with Meta and TikTok through a voluntary fact-checker mechanism to combat the spread of online disinformation. • This initiative follows a crisis in Ceuta where false claims circulated online, contributing to deadly mass border crossings. • The move highlights the EU's effort to hold tech giants accountable for algorithmic amplification of misinformation that can lead to real-world violence.

• The migration crisis in Ceuta has become a political tool for European right-wing parties to intensify debates regarding border security and immigration policies. • Madrid has rejected claims that Spain is Europe's primary weak point, citing Frontex data that highlights similar irregular migration pressures in Italy and Greece. • Researchers suggest the crisis's impact stems from its symbolic power, as dramatic images of mass arrivals have reinforced right-wing political narratives more than actual statistics.

Australians bought EVs and hybrids at nearly same rate as petrol cars between April and June, Australian Automobile Association data showsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians are now buying electric and hybrid vehicles at the same rate as traditional petrol-powered cars, according to new data that shows EV sales doubled in the months after the peak of the fuel price spike.Fuel prices are again on track to top $2 a litre, after the federal government’s fuel excise reductions – introduced to offset the impact of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East – came to an end on Sunday. Continue reading...

More electric vehicles sold in first half of 2026 than whole of last year, new data showsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians bought more electric vehicles in the first six months of 2026 than the whole of the previous year, new data shows, as the ongoing crisis in the Middle East causes uncertainty about petrol prices.There were 103,855 battery electric vehicles (EVs) sold nationally between January and June, compared with 103,269 in 2025, according to data from VFacts and the Electric Vehicle Council. Continue reading...

Prime minister flags an announcement following deliberations of cabinet’s expenditure review committeeAnthony Albanese has signalled the federal government is open to extending the temporary cut to the fuel excise to help cushion motorists from a months-long tail to the Middle East conflict.The prime minister also welcomed the announcement of a peace deal between the US and Iran to end the war and reopen the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

Motorists are forced to queue up to six hours for fuel or pay more on the black market, while farmers lack fuel to operate machinery and harvest crops.

PM to update state and territory leaders and is weighing options to increase oil refining in Australia. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories. Nick Visser will take the reins shortly.Anthony Albanese will convene the national cabinet again in coming days to discuss the fuel crisis, he told the ABC’s 7.30 program last night, as the government considers options to boost domestic fuel refining capacity. Continue reading...

Experts say ‘cautious consumption’ shows households bracing for return to extended period of financial pressure experienced during pandemic yearsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians are choosing chicken schnitzel over more expensive rib-eye steak, avoiding entrees and sticking with tap water rather than a glass of wine amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the fuel crisis and war in Iran.As soon as the numbers on the petrol bowser started climbing last month as the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, the customer response was swift. Continue reading...

As treasurer Jim Chalmers weighs ‘extreme uncertainty’, one economic scenario sees global growth plunging to just 2% in 2026Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe International Monetary Fund has warned the US-Israel war on Iran risks creating an “energy crisis of an unprecedented scale” that could tip the global economy towards recession.The grim warning contained in the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook comes as Jim Chalmers prepares to attend the organisation’s spring meetings in Washington DC this week, where he said he would be “joining with other countries continuing to call for an enduring end to the war”. Continue reading...

Follow the day’s news liveAlbanese didn’t return with shiploads of diesel. That doesn’t mean his Singapore visit wasn’t a successGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government is launching a new advertising campaign to encourage the public to minimise their use of fuel amid the global crisis caused by the US-Israel war on Iran.The TV, digital and billboard campaign, which will begin rolling out on Monday, is called “Every little bit helps” and is part of the second level of the government’s four-tier fuel security plan.…lays the groundwork for Australians to understand what to do now as fuel supplies hold up. It also signals that instructions will be communicated if and when we move to future levels.This campaign will help communicate the Government’s plan to the public and outline what actions they can take to help.The global fuel shortage is affecting us all and every little bit helps. From running errands in fewer trips to only filling up with the fuel you need, this will help us keep essential services moving. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Trips on Sydney’s key thoroughfares have fallen by thousands per day, according to government dataGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRoad traffic is falling on Australia’s east coast as fuel prices bite, with most key Sydney highways recording 20% fewer weekend trips.The number of trips recorded on Sydney’s key thoroughfares has fallen by thousands of trips a day, according to New South Wales government data shared exclusively with Guardian Australia. Continue reading...

How much fuel does Australia have left today, and when could we run out? Check how much petrol and diesel prices have risen near you in Sydney, Melbourne and across the country since the US and Israel’s war on Iran began in late FebruaryGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHundreds of service stations across Australia have run empty, fuel prices are elevated and oil shipments have been cancelled.Australia is battling a fuel crisis as Iran’s closure of the strait of Hormuz continues to bite. The federal government has released fuel reserves, cut fuel excise taxes and rolled out a national fuel security plan. Continue reading...

More than 33GW of battery capacity approved for Turkish grid since 2022 compared with 12-13GW in GermanyTurkey has given the green light to more batteries to buffer its electricity grid than any EU member state, a report has found, in a further sign of rich countries losing steam in the race to a clean economy.More than 33GW of battery capacity have been approved in Turkey since 2022, according to the climate thinktank Ember, while the total planned and operational capacity in European frontrunners that started deploying them earlier, such as Germany and Italy, is 12-13GW. Continue reading...

How much fuel does Australia have left today, and when could we run out? Check how much petrol and diesel prices have risen near you in Sydney, Melbourne and across the country since the US and Israel’s war on Iran began in late FebruaryGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHundreds of service stations across Australia have run empty, fuel prices are elevated and oil shipments have been cancelled.Australia is battling a fuel crisis as Iran’s closure of the strait of Hormuz continues to bite. The federal government has released fuel reserves, cut fuel excise taxes and rolled out a national fuel security plan. Continue reading...

Prime minister brings forward trip to Singapore in scramble for petrol supplies; former soldier charged with five war crime murders. Follow updates liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe prime minister has spoken to Chinese premier, Li Qiang, over the phone to discuss energy security, as the government moves to secure fuel supplies with nations across Asia.Anthony Albanese confirmed on Tuesday he would be flying to Singapore this week to lock in fuel imports. Continue reading...

How much fuel does Australia have left today, and when could we run out? Check how much petrol and diesel prices have risen near you in Sydney, Melbourne and across the country since the US and Israel’s war on Iran began in late FebruaryGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHundreds of service stations across Australia have run empty, fuel prices are elevated and oil shipments have been cancelled.Australia is battling a fuel crisis as Iran’s closure of the strait of Hormuz continues to bite. The federal government has released fuel reserves, cut fuel excise taxes and rolled out a national fuel security plan. Continue reading...

From farms in New Zealand to factories in Delhi, the affects of the oil crisis triggered by the Iran war are rippling across Asia Continue reading...

Opposition leader calls for the prime minister to give more details about the fuel crisisGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best of the breaking stories before Natasha May takes the helm.Anthony Albanese used a rare address to the nation to attempt to allay public fears over dwindling fuel supplies, vowing to keep petrol prices down by shoring up international supplies and ramping up local production. Continue reading...

Track the latest data on fuel prices, outages and oil tanker deliveriesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHundreds of service stations across Australia have run empty, fuel prices are elevated and oil shipments have been cancelled.Australia is battling a fuel crises as Iran’s closure of the strait of Hormuz continues to bite. The federal government has released fuel reserves, cut fuel excise taxes and rolled out a national fuel security plan. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Capital gains tax discount and negative gearing rules created ‘extra artificial incentive’ for property speculation, the e61 Institute has foundGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe combination of the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing rules has turbocharged debt-fuelled property speculation over recent decades, according to a new analysis of hundreds of thousands of property investments.The federal budget in three weeks’ time is widely expected to include changes to tax breaks for investors, in an effort to rebalance the tax system away from the wealthiest Australians and to take pressure off home prices. Continue reading...

State and federal leaders due to discuss assistance for business sectors but petrol rationing not expected to find backingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFarmers say the federal government must help them with tax breaks and underwriting fertiliser purchases to survive the fuel crisis, with Monday’s national cabinet expected to discuss more assistance to businesses amid ballooning petrol prices.Federal and state governments have remained tight-lipped about what would be on the meeting’s agenda but state premiers have urged the Albanese government to take a stronger national coordination role in the crisis. Continue reading...

More assistance to businesses amid ballooning petrol prices expected to be discussed as prime minister and premiers meet. Follow updates liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning, Krishani Dhanji with you here for the final sitting week of the month, and the final sitting week before the budget.The prime minister will convene the national cabinet again today, the second since the US and Israeli strikes on Iran. And this morning the government will introduce legislation to underwrite fuel supplies into Australia. Continue reading...

Unions and farmers call for government intervention as agriculture, construction and waste industries also at risk from higher pricesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCare workers, tradespeople and transport drivers are being hit hard by ballooning fuel costs, with some industry groups urging the government to roll out assistance packages or even a jobkeeper-style wage assistance program to help businesses avoid laying off staff.Reports of small mining businesses scaling back operations and some construction companies deciding against hiring more apprentices have prompted suggestions the government should step in to help, with the Master Builders Association already forecasting a downturn in the number of homes that will be built this year. Continue reading...

Rising energy bills give Reform and Tories opening to attack net zero while government hesitant to make case for clean energyCould net zero become “the next Brexit”? That is the fear stalking climate advocates as the oil crisis caused by the war on Iran starts to bite.A powerful coalition of the well-funded Reform party, led by Nigel Farage, the Conservative party, some business interests, and the UK’s right-wing media, are engaged in an onslaught against the longstanding target of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Continue reading...

David Pocock says a flat 25% export levy on gas producers could redirect ‘wartime profits’ to struggling AustraliansGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPressure is mounting on the Albanese government to help households struggling with fuel prices, with working from home and free public transport posited as possible solutions.Nearly 150,000 New Zealand families will soon receive a weekly cash payment to help them afford petrol, believed to be the world’s first fuel relief package that directly pays citizens since the Israel-US war on Iran began. Continue reading...

Policy begins on 1 April and is aimed to ease financial pressure as the price of fuel surges due to conflict in the Middle EastNearly 150,000 New Zealand families will soon receive a weekly cash payment to help them afford petrol, the government has announced, in what is believed to be the world’s first fuel relief package that directly pays citizens since the Iran war began.On Tuesday, prime minister Christopher Luxon and finance minister Nicola Willis announced roughly 143,000 families with children will get an extra NZ$50 ($29.20; £21.80) a week through a boost to the in-work tax credit – a payment to families with dependent children where at least one parent is in paid employment and neither parent receives benefits. Another 14,000 families on slightly higher incomes will also be eligible for payments, but will receive less than $50 per week. Continue reading...

US president claims he ‘always says yes’ to Australia, Japan and South Korea, after saying he didn’t need help from trio of countries earlier this weekDonald Trump says he is “very surprised” Australia has not sent warships to aid in opening the strait of Hormuz as the blockade of the key strategic route for global oil supply continues to impact fuel prices.“I was very surprised,” the US president said in Washington on Friday when asked what he took issue with regarding Japan, South Korea and Australia. Continue reading...

Independent retailers are struggling to get fuel from the majors and say farmers have only responded to soaring prices and lack of availabilityGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRural fuel distributor Paul McCallum hopes the worst is over.At the start of the month, as fuel prices surged after the US and Israel bombed Iran, farmers started bringing their diesel orders forward, requesting “a boisterous but not over the top” 1.5m litres from his company Inland Petroleum. Continue reading...