Albanese's Fuel Diplomacy Amidst Geelong Refinery Fire

0:00It's April 15th. This is Sydney News Today, AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Cory with the story. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is wrapping up his southeast Asia trip today with the key one-on-one meeting with Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar. Ibrahim and Kuala Lumpur, plus talks with the head of a major global oil company, all aimed at boosting Australia's fuel supplies. Meanwhile, Treasurer Jim Chalmers is in Washington holding high-level economic discussions at the International Monetary Fund, while back home. Defense Minister Richard Marles plans to announce a $53 billion increase in defense spending over the next decade. But the real drama unfolded overnight with a massive fire at the Jalong Oil Refinery, one of only two still running in Australia, where emergency. Crews are still fighting the flames. Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Ted O'Brien called it a stark wake-up call, stressing that energy security equals national security, especially with the other Refinery and Brisbane's

1:00lidon area also vulnerable. As the Prime Minister pushes for more reliable fuel sources abroad, this incident highlights Australia's thin margins on energy, reminding us why. These diplomatic moves and defense boosts matter right now.