Good morning, it's Friday, March 4. Here's what you need to get going today.
One thing to know right now: NSW's flooding crisis is ongoing
Here's the lowdown:
- This morning, a fresh evacuation warning was issued for the western part of Wisemans Ferry in Sydney’s north-west due to flooding
- And there are still scores of flood warnings ranging from minor to major in the state
- But, in good news, the SES has issued "all clear" notices for residents to return to their homes in some parts of Sydney’s south-west and north-west that were subject to evacuation orders yesterday
- Unfortunately, severe thunderstorms could hit flood-ravaged areas in the state's north today, with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warning a low-pressure system has moved up the east coast and could bring more rain and storms to the Northern Rivers and Mid-North Coast
And while we're at it: South-east Queensland schools are closed over wild-weather warnings
- Schools in south-east Queensland will be closed today, except for vulnerable children and the children of essential workers
- Yesterday, the state's Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, warned the south-east could see more severe weather and asked people "to think about not being on the roads and staying at home" today
- But late yesterday afternoon the BOM said a stable air mass over south-east Queensland meant severe storms were still possible but less likely
- The BOM's warning of possible severe thunderstorms from overnight covered an area from below Gladstone right down to the state border, and stretching as far west as Toowoomba
Another thing we'll be talking about today: Russia and Ukraine's second round of peace talks
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Delegations from Ukraine and Russia met on the Polish-Belarusian border, with both parties saying they wanted a ceasefire to allow them to evacuate civilians through humanitarian corridors
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But, again, the talks didn't yield a ceasefire agreement. The parties did, however, agree to hold peace talks again soon
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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said while his country was ready for talks to resume, Russia's demands had not changed and he would not accept any ultimatums
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Russian officials said Moscow's demands included Ukraine's recognition of Russia's hold on Crimea, independence for the separatist-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, and "de-militarisation" and "de-Nazification"
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The third round of talks might be an even higher-profile meeting, with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy challenging Russian President Vladimir Putin to take part in talks
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Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken with Mr Putin, after which he said he feared the "worst is yet to come"
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The 90-minute phone call failed to yield any assurances about Russia ending the war, with Mr Putin saying the operation was going to plan
News while you snoozed
Let's get you up to speed.
- Prime Minister Scott Morrison has joined an urgent meeting of Quad leaders — from the US, Japan and India. Japan says the leaders agreed that what is happening in Ukraine should not be allowed to take place in the Indo Pacific and the US says they reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring all states in the region were free from military, economic, and political coercion
- Queensland has issued a public health alert following a confirmed human case of Japanese encephalitis virus, which spreads to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. Most human infections cause mild symptoms such as headache or fever but young children and the elderly are at a higher risk of developing more severe illness, and in rare cases, it can lead to death
- It's been revealed the Australian Defence Force has quietly rejected vehicles it is having specially built at a cost of $1.3 billion over concerns about their brakes
The news Australia is searching for
- Enmore Theatre: Part of the floor at the Enmore theatre in Sydney's inner west has collapsed during Genesis Owusu's gig. Thankfully, no injuries were reported
- Neighbours: The long-running Aussie soap is coming to an end, with the series to film its final episodes in June after a 37-year run on television. The show's producers said financial issues stemming from "the loss of our key broadcast partner in the UK" earlier this year contributed to the show's end.
One more thing: A pro-Russian Q&A audience member was asked to leave the studio
Host Stan Grant asked the audience member to leave the studio after he stated that he supported Moscow's actions in Ukraine and asked a question about how Russia was being portrayed in the media.
The question was briefly discussed by the panel before the show moved on to talk about the flood crisis, but Grant came back to it later:
"Sasha, people here have been talking about family who are suffering and people who are dying.
"You supported what's happening, hearing that people are dying.
"Can I just say — I'm just not comfortable with you being here. Could you please leave?
"You can ask a question, but we cannot advocate violence."
As the episode concluded, Grant explained that the question had not been vetted before it was asked.
That's it for now
We'll be back later on with more.
ABC/wires
