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The federal government is facing criticism after spending $20 million on a fuel-saving campaign to encourage Australians to reduce driving and conserve petrol as the war in the Middle East continues to wreak havoc on prices and supply.

In a campaign blitz titled "Every little bit helps", the government will urge the public to reconsider driving habits, take public transport and offer tips for better fuel efficiency.

Drivers will be asked to use their car less, drive smoothly to avoid excessive fuel use, carry less weight in the car and to walk or take the train or bus instead of driving.

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The expensive advertising campaign is now being met with scepticism over its efficacy.

Former Nationals leader and Maranoa MP David Littleproud said motorists don't need an expensive TV ad to convince them to reel back spending at the bowser.

"You're not spending the money because you can see the price, the price is constraining how much you're putting in the tank. You're only using what you need to because of the price," Littleproud told Today.

"The government doesn't need to spend $20 million dollar on an advertising campaign.

"The prices are doing that themselves at the bowser."

Littleproud disagreed that it was unfair for politicians to ask everyday Aussies to reduce their driving while enjoying taxpayer-funded wheels.

He said most MPs need cars to adequately serve their electorate.

"You cant travel an electorate three times the size of Victoria on your own wallet," he said of his own seat.

3AW's Shane McInnes said the campaign was in contrast to the government's assertion that Australia's fuel supply was not in jeopardy.

"Why are we spending $20 million to say save fuel, when the PM has repeatedly said there's no fuel shortage?" he asked.

"We are told time and time again, no there is no supply shortage

"This is a complete juxtaposition to what we're being told by the government. Are we not being told the whole truth here?"

The fuel information and tips will be advertised across television and online, along with select outdoor sites including billboards and bus stations.

The campaign will cost about $20 million in taxpayer funds.

It will be officially launched nationwide tomorrow, two weeks after the government held an urgent national cabinet meeting to discuss the fuel crisis.

Minister for Infrastructure Catherine King said the advice will help keep Australia's essential workers on the road.

"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," King said.

"The rollout of this campaign and National Fuel Security Plan ensures that we can get the public the information they need, and keep them updated if and when the situation may change."

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Australia is now in the second stage of the government's "keep Australia moving" plan, devised during national cabinet talks.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen yesterday said Australia's fuel reserves were in a reasonably healthy position, with diesel stocks up and petrol and jet fuel stocks slightly reduced.

"That's up two days for diesel, down a day for petrol and down two days for jet fuel," Bowen said.

He said Australia has 38 days' worth of petrol, 31 days' worth of diesel, and 28 days' worth of jet fuel in reserve.

Tomorrow's campaign launch also follows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to Singapore, where he struck a deal with his counterpart Lawrence Wong to keep fuel flowing into Australia.

Singapore promised to do everything in its power to keep supplying Australia with 55 per cent of its petrol.

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Meanwile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is not part of the talks, has vowed that Israel "will continue to fight" amid a campaign of strikes aimed at hundreds of Hezbollah targets.

Australians should not expect any significant reduction in fuel prices after the government struck a deal with Singapore to keep refined oil flowing into the country.

Singapore has assured Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that it will do everything in its power to ensure more than half of the country's fuel imports continue arriving in Australia.

But will this have any material impact on the still sky-high petrol and diesel prices?

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According to Nine's chief political editor Charles Croucher, this won't change anything at the bowser.

"Unfortunately I think this is fuel security, not a fuel surplus," Croucher told Today.

"So don't expect there's going to be a flood of availability coming to Australia that causes prices to go down."

Just over 170 service stations across Australia are now out of diesel.

Diesel prices are still hovering above the $3 per litre mark, despite government efforts to put downward pressure on oil companies with a temporary excise reduction.

The average price of diesel is $3.17 per litre and $2.20 for unleaded, according to Fuel Radar.

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Singapore supplies just 15 per cent of Australia's diesel and 55 per cent of the country's petrol.

More mutual energy agreements may need to be struck elsewhere in the Asia to shore up Australia's supply outside of reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, including Korea, Brunei and Japan.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is reportedly planning a visit to Australia later this month.

It is expected the Japanese PM will discuss the Strait of Hormuz and the supply of rare-earth minerals.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen has previously warned there will be a "long tail" even after the conflict ends and ships begin sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.

"Even if it opened today, there's a big backlog of ships, there's been gas plants bombed out of existence," he told reporters on yesterday.

"The international energy situation will take a long time to recover from this. This is not over."

He said Australia has 38 days' worth of petrol, 31 days' worth of diesel, and 28 days' worth of jet fuel in reserve.

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A seven-year-old girl has drowned while swimming at a popular Queensland river in a school holiday tragedy.

Emergency services were called to Colleges Crossing Recreation Reserve in Chuwar, Ipswich, west of Brisbane, just after 5pm yesterday following reports a young girl had failed to resurface from the river.

It is understood the girl cried for help before going under the water.

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A major search and rescue operation was launched to find the schoolgirl.

Police divers recovered her body shortly before 10.30pm.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Queensland Ambulance Service said a school-aged boy had also been taken to Ipswich Hospiral after being rescued from the water at the same time.

He remains in a stable condition.

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Three men have been charged over a potential deadly underworld plot after police intercepted what they believe to be a "kill car" during a high-speed chase in Sydney's west.

An Audi, which police believe was stolen and involved in multiple shootings as well as a firebombing in recent weeks, was rammed on a major motorway at Lidcombe yesterday about 2.25pm.

The chase began on the Great Western Highway in Wentworthville, with occupants seen throwing jerry cans out the window on the M4 motorway at Silverwater during the pursuit.

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Multiple police cars and a helicopter were deployed to try and stop the Audi, with the cops eventually catching up to the car around Hill Road in Homebush.

The three men inside the car fled on foot but the chase didn't last long, with police catching the trio and arresting them.

The men – one aged 28 and two aged 24 – were uninjured.

The trio were charged with possessing unregistered firearm-prohibited firearm, possessing unregistered unauthorised pistol in public place, possessing ammunition without holding licence/permit/authority, and participating in criminal group contributing criminal activity.

The 28-year-old alleged driver faces two additional charges for drive conveyance taken without consent of owner and police pursuit – not stop – drive recklessly.

He also had two outstanding warrants executed for assault and domestic violence offences, police said.

The two 24-year-olds were also charged with carrying in conveyance taken without consent of owner.

The charged men were refused bail and will appear before Bail Division Court today.

Police allegedly found a handgun and a semi-automatic gun inside the car, which they believe is connected to shootings and a firebombing in Panania last month.

The car is believed to be involved in shootings at three different homes throughout Western Sydney this week.

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"We actually had police out today trying to identify routes that that vehicle had taken as part of the shootings," Detective Inspector Brad Abdy said.

The car is also believed to have been stolen from an Edmonson Park address in March 2026.

The plates were seized for forensic examination.

Police are still investigating and are urging anyone with dashcam footage of the chase to come forward.

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Nearly 5000 children are stuck in institutional housing as Australia's adoption rates continue to plummet.

Total adoption numbers have fallen by 41 per cent, according to new data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

More than 260 children were adopted in 2020-21, but in 2024-25 that figure dropped to just 155.

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Overseas adoptions nearly halved in that period, falling from 37 to just 19.

The 19 children adopted from overseas came from just six countries: Thailand, Taiwan, India, Colombia, Hong Kong and South Korea.

Domestic adoptions accounted for almost 90 per cent of the adoptions finalised in 2024-25, and about 80 per cent of them were known child adoptions.

But even known child adoptions, wherein a child is adopted by someone they already have a relationship with, declined by about one-fifth from 147 to 119.

Have you got a story about adoption? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at our breaking newsletter here

Exclusive: It looks like a normal photo of damaged makeup but alarm bells went off in Tanielle Jai's mind as soon as she saw it.

The Queensland-based makeup artist and business owner has recently seen a spike in customers trying to use AI to 'reverse scam' her business.

It's forced her to overhaul her returns process, which is how she caught the photo.

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The customer who sent it claimed it showed that the bronzer they ordered had been damaged in transit and requested a full refund.

But Jai noticed some inconsistencies, like the cream product appearing to be runny and crumbly at the same time.

"The formula we have just couldn't physically do that," Jai told nine.com.au.

"We also ran the image through AI detection websites and it came back as completely fake."

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at our breaking newsletter here

A man accused of being part of a Romanian gang scamming elderly women has faced court in Sydney after being extradited from Western Australia.

Vasile Bombonel, 38, was allegedly part of a group of people that targeted elderly women at shopping centres across New South Wales

As part of the scam, one person from the group would allegedly approach an elderly person, claiming they'd dropped cash or their wallet.

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When the elderly person opened their wallet to check, a second person from the group would allegedly steal their bank cards, which were then used in fraudulent purchases.

It is believed 39 people between the ages of 70 and 100 have been targeted in several Sydney suburbs, as well as on the state's South Coast and in Grafton, in New South Wales' north.

Queensland Police arrested three other Romanians who are accused of being part of the same gang two weeks ago.

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Bombonel was arrested at Perth Airport on April 8.

He appeared before a Western Australia court and was later extradited to Sydney, where he was escorted through the Qantas terminal by police.

As he made his way through the terminal, the man was captured giving a thumbs-up sign to cameras, as well as appearing to offer sarcastic applause.

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He also waved to the cameras as he was put in the back of a police car.

The man has now been charged with 18 offences, including six counts of stealing from the person with a value less than or equal to $2000, and stealing from the person more than $2000 and less than or equal to $5000.

He was refused bail this afternoon in a Sydney court and will remain behind bars.

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The countries have agreed to meet in order to try and bring about peace in the Middle East, after the US and Israel began bombing Iran over nuclear weapons claims.