Iranian Footballers Allegedly Held Against Will in Australia, Tehran Claims
Iran’s foreign affairs ministry has indicated that the two remaining Iranian footballers who sought asylum in Australia may be compelled to stay in the country. This follows the earlier asylum claims by five members of Iran’s women’s soccer team last week.
Concerns have been raised within Australia’s Iranian diaspora about possible pressure from Iran’s regime on some players to return home.
In an interview with ABC’s 7.30 program, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, was asked whether the two remaining players were being detained against their will in Australia. He responded:
"I guess so."
Baghaei reiterated allegations that the women were effectively held "hostage" in Australia:
"They didn’t seek asylum. They were forced to. They were coerced to. They didn’t do it voluntarily."
He stated that these claims were based on information from their coach:
"They were invited to go to a room under the pretence of clarifying the doping or something like that. And then they put the paper beside them.... you can be given asylum."
Fuel Taskforce to Prioritize Regional Areas, Says Minister
Resources Minister Madeleine King announced that a newly established fuel taskforce will prioritize regional areas as petrol and diesel are released from the national stockpile.
The Albanese government appointed Anthea Harris, former chief of the energy regulator, to lead the national fuel supply taskforce.
Speaking to ABC’s 7.30, King emphasized the taskforce’s role in ensuring fuel reaches service stations that have depleted supplies promptly:
"There is a priority that fuel does go to regional areas and the places where it is needed."
"They have to come out of the storage tanks, as you can imagine. There has to be arrangements and we are doing work that would ordinarily take weeks. It’s being done in days to ensure it does get to those petrol stations."
Tropical Cyclone Narelle Approaches Queensland as Category Four Storm
Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle is forecast to make landfall on Cape York this morning, expected to be a "high end" category-four storm.
The Bureau of Meteorology's latest update indicates that the cyclone, previously classified as category five, has weakened slightly overnight but remains a significant threat to communities in northern Queensland.
Sustained winds of 195 km/h with gusts up to 270 km/h have been recorded.
Satellite imagery shows Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle moving over the Coral Sea at approximately 25 km/h on Thursday. The cyclone’s eye is clearly visible, along with bands of showers extending from the system, bringing heavy rainfall to the tropical north.
Emergency warnings have been issued for Lockhart River, Port Stewart, and Coen.
Narelle is expected to make landfall between 7am and 10am Queensland time (8am and 11am AEDT). Tracking maps indicate the cyclone is heading directly toward the small town of Coen.
The cyclone is currently about 110 km from Coen, moving at roughly 21 km/h.
While cyclones typically weaken upon landfall, Narelle’s intensity suggests it could remain destructive as it crosses Cape York and eventually impacts communities in the western cape.
Authorities have warned of multiple hazards including strong winds, heavy rain, flooding from already swollen rivers, and a storm surge coinciding with high tide.
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories, followed by Luca Ittimani with the main updates.
There is significant news this morning, particularly in far north Queensland, where a powerful storm is imminent.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle has recently dropped just below the highest category-five level as it nears the coast, with the town of Coen in its path.
Narelle is expected to make landfall within hours, and we will provide continuous updates as the situation develops.
