In this bulletin;
- A national disaster response plan activated ahead of Cyclone Alfred's arrival;
- President Trump issues a 'last warning' to Hamas;
- And in sport, a newly formed women's football club calls out inequality in the sport.
The Bureau of Meteorology has updated the projected window of time when Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall.
Instead of Thursday, the Bureau says in its latest update it anticipates the category-two system will cross the Queensland coast - between Maroochydore and Coolangatta - on Friday evening at around 8pm.
Four-and-half million residents - and 1.8 million homes - are in the affected zone: from Double Island Point in Queensland to Grafton in New South Wales - including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and Ballina.
Schools have closed in both states - 660 in Queensland, and 280 in New South Wales.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says helicopters and other resources are being made available to help support the emergency response.
"We've delivered 310,000 sand bags into Brisbane for distribution across councils. And there is more on their way. 60 ADF personnel and 30 high-clearance vehicles are being pre-positioned to go to Queensland. We have approved to ADF search and rescue choppers to support Queensland post-crossing. We have activated the Australian government disaster response plan."
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US President Donald Trump has issued what he called a 'last warning' to Hamas to release all remaining hostages held in Gaza.
After meeting with eight former hostages at the White House, Mr Trump posted a statement on his Truth Social platform.
In it he says he is "sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job".
The White House has confirmed Mr Trump has recently dispatched an envoy for unprecedented direct talks with the militant group, challenging a long-held US policy of not directly engaging with the militant group.
White House press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says the president believes this action is in the best interest of the American people.
"The special envoy who's engaged in those negotiations does have the authority to talk to anyone. Israel was consulted on this matter. And look, dialogue and talking to people around the world to do what's in the best interest of the American people is something that the president has proven is what he believes is, is good faith effort to do what's right for the American people."
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Defence Minister Richard Marles has justified Australia's spending on defence, as a senior Trump official expressed concern over Australia's funding commitment.
Mr Trump's head of policy at the US Defence Department, Elbridge Colby, told a US Senate committee on Wednesday that Australia is a core US ally but their main concern is higher defence spending, adding Australia is currently well below the 3 per cent level advocated for NATO.
But Minister Marles is confident Australia's AUKUS partnership with the US and UK, and additional $50 billion over the decade, is a sign of Australia's solid security commitment.
"I can obviously understand the US administration seeking for its friends and allies around the world to do more, that's a conversation we will continue to have with the US administration, and we very much understand where they're coming from. But it's very important to understand, we are increasing that spending right now."
The Trump administration has been pushing Australia to dramatically increase defence spending to counter China's rise.
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In sport, a group of 35 female athletes in Victoria who split from the Kyneton Football and Netball Club due to concerns about gender equity and mistreatment, say they have nowhere to play.
Natalie Korinfsky is the president of the newly formed Kyneton Women's Eagles football Club formed with the players who broke away.
Ms Korinfsky says since walking away to establish an independent club, they no longer have access to their home grounds and cannot find a league to play in.
"And what we're finding is all these policies and processes that the government and AFL have put into place don't actually translate into action and they are not able to be enforced. So we're a team that has stood up and spoken out and now we're locked out of the system. And we want change because we're asking generations of women and girls to come and play sport but there's not really an equitable playing field for them to play at."
This follows research by the Victorian government from July 2023, which uncovered almost a third of women who play community sport in Victoria had considered leaving their club due to inequitable treatment.
The Kyneton Football Netball club maintains it has always been as inclusive as possible.
