As it happened: ADF torpedo surfaces on beach; Penny Wong cautions steel deal will be challenging

Thanks for joining us today. Here’s a recap of the main events.

• Qatar acquisition of Virgin stake: Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the deal for a 25 per cent stake in Virgin Airlines was made “in the national economic interest”.
• Wong lashes Dutton: The foreign minister has accused the Coalition of seeking political advantage from the warships’ exercises with inflammatory rhetoric on China.
• Marles defends handling of Chinese warships: The defence minister defended the government’s handling of the surprise exercise in the Tasman Sea on Friday.
• Private schools and “class-war rhetoric”: Seventeen seats have been designated “ground zero” in a campaign to pressure major parties to shore up billions of dollars in public funding.
• Transparency on interest rate decisions: RBA deputy governor Andrew Hauser has opposed the disclosure of board members’ views on rate decisions.

Victoria’s Department of Health has declared a measles outbreak after two new cases were reported.

The department said the cases had no history of overseas travel or known contact with other cases of measles.

It said people who hadn’t received two vaccine doses were particularly at risk, and that Victorians born between 1966 and 1992 were at a higher risk of being in this category.

The cases were infectious at locations around Melbourne and the regional city of Bendigo, including Royal Melbourne and Bendigo hospitals’ emergency departments, and several locations in the Bendigo suburbs of Epsom and Kangaroo Flat.

“Suspected cases should be tested, advised to isolate, and notified to the Department of Health immediately by calling 1300 651 160,” the department said.

Rome: Pope Francis has shown further slight improvement as he battles double pneumonia, but doctors say his prognosis is still guarded.

A chest CT scan taken on Tuesday evening showed the “normal evolution” of an infection as it was being treated, the Vatican said in an update on Thursday AEDT. The 88-year-old Pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, was still receiving high flows of supplemental oxygen but had not had any more respiratory crises since Saturday.

Blood tests, which had shown some low platelet counts and anaemia, had confirmed an improvement, and the slight kidney insufficiency detected a few days ago had receded, the statement said.

Pope Francis was continuing to receive respiratory physiotherapy, the statement said. It was the first time the Vatican had confirmed he was receiving physiotherapy to help him expel fluid from his lungs.

A complex lung infection has kept the Pope hospitalised in a critical condition since February 14.

AP

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has stressed it will be extremely challenging for Australia to secure an exemption to Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs, as it did during his first term in office.

Trump is set to finalise the tariffs on March 12, giving the government two weeks to lock in an exemption. An announcement could come during a federal election if Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calls one this weekend or next weekend.

Wong said there was “cause for optimism” because Trump confirmed he would give an exemption “great consideration” in a phone call with Albanese.

But she added: “We’re also realistic, this will be a challenge, and it will take time. You would have seen strong views articulated from within the US administration on tariffs generally, and also in relation to Australia.

“I would also underscore that it took the Turnbull government some time to negotiate a carve-out, and given what has happened in the intervening period I suppose I’d say we have an even greater hill to climb.”