1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:09,159 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the update. I'm Michelle Stevenson for 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,400 Speaker 1: the Albaneze government has unvowed a sweeping overhaul of the 3 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: Defense Department aimed at delivering taxpayers a more bang for 4 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: their buck. At least three agencies will be folded into 5 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,479 Speaker 1: one as the defense budget increases to one hundred billion 6 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: dollars by twenty thirty four. Minister Richard Marles says it's 7 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,319 Speaker 1: one of the most significant reforms the department has seen. 8 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 2: It will greatly improve the quality of the defense spend 9 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 2: and it will make sure that as we spend more 10 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 2: money in the defense budget, we are doing so in 11 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 2: a way which sees programs delivered on time and on budget. 12 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: Defense forces meantime and monitoring yet another Chinese flotilla amid 13 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: concerns it could be heading towards Australia. The PLA Naval 14 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: Task Group is currently located in international waters near the Philippines. 15 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: The latest incident comes less than a year after Chinese 16 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: warships conducted li fire drills off the New South Wales coast, 17 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 1: disrupting commercial flights between Australia and New Zealand. The opposition 18 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: says Energy Minister Chris Bowen has egg on his face 19 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: after a stark warning about potential blackouts this summer. Authorities 20 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: are concerned about the planned closure of the nation's largest 21 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: qualified power station by twenty twenty seven and the lack 22 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,680 Speaker 1: of infrastructure required to maintain the electricity grid liberally at 23 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 1: Susan Laey says it is proof the energy transition is 24 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 1: failing and the government has taken its eye off the ball. 25 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 3: So there are two things at stake here. One is cost, 26 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 3: which is escalating. The other is reliability, and neither of 27 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 3: those has been properly recognized by this part time Energy minister. 28 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: Smart carts are increasingly becoming weapons on wheels for perpetrators 29 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: of domestic violence. Support services are receiving reports of abuses 30 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: using smart car features to monitor their partner's movements and 31 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: intimidate them by remotely changing settings. Dozens of meat workers 32 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: are lucky to be alive after being overcome by carbon 33 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: monoxide and Melbourne pork processing facility emergency crews were forced 34 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: to evacuate the factory and provide oxygen to around twenty 35 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 1: one workers who've been taken to hospitals for observation, and 36 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: a social media purge of inactive accounts on x has 37 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: taken a toll on Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Katie Perry. 38 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: There's now no artist boasting one hundred million followers. Reanna 39 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: is the closest, with ninety seven point six million. Sport 40 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: Entertainment to next to sport in Oscar Piastre is now 41 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 1: sixteen points are behind teammate Lando Norris in the World 42 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: Championships after a McLaren team decision saw him finish second 43 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,639 Speaker 1: at the Catar Grand Prix, and seventeen year old Queenslander 44 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: Emerson Jones has one a wild card spot in the 45 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 1: Australian Open Singles draw. Veteran James Duckworth has also secured 46 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: his entry in his stainment news Now, it seems Talerswift 47 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: is going big when it comes to her bachelorette. The 48 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: singers had to have several star studded parties around the Globe. 49 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: Reports she'll be celebrating in Nashville, New York City, Italy, 50 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 1: as well as the Bahamas. Gwen Stefani has shut down 51 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: rumors that she and husband Blake At Shelton has bluit 52 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: with a PDA pick, the singer taking two instat to 53 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: share the loved up photo of the Power and the 54 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: Quative Christmas has revealed the I wadering sum she gets 55 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: for her iconic holiday song, Ryan Carey is All I 56 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: Want for Christmas is the most stream track of the 57 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: December period, pulling in almost six million dollars in royalties 58 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: every year. That's the latest from another podcast news team. 59 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: We'll have another episode of the Update for you tomorrow. 60 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: I'm Michelle Stevenson.