In a development that pairs nicely with your morning coffee's existential dread, Syria has claimed the Australian government “refused to receive” families from a detention camp who were trying to leave Damascus. The accusation, reported live by The Guardian, adds another layer to an already tangled geopolitical knot.

Meanwhile, in a plot twist that involves slightly less human suffering, Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that China has agreed to facilitate exports of jet fuel to ease supply disruptions. Because nothing says “stable international relations” like relying on your geopolitical rival for airplane go-juice.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, for his part, said he “understands” calls to tax gas exports, but maintained the government was set on securing international supply arrangements during the ongoing fuel crisis. “I understand that there is a constituency in the Australian community to go further,” Chalmers told RN, in the verbal equivalent of a shrug emoji. “But there are also, as the prime minister said, really good reasons to prioritise these international supply arrangements particularly during this oil shock.”

Chalmers added: “All of us have been prioritising getting fuel for Australia and for Australians to keep the economy ticking over.” He also noted that when the government thinks about “intergenerational unfairness” in the budget, economy, and society, a couple of the drivers are in housing and the tax system - which is a bit like diagnosing a broken leg and pointing out the patient also has a hangnail.