TRANSCRIPT
- Record rainfall totals recorded in Queensland
- The federal government announces a women's health package totalling half a billion dollars
- Alex de Minaur to face Carlos Alcaraz in the Rotterdam Open final
Extensive rain and storms are continuing to impact central and northern Queensland.
On Saturday, some communities on the northeast tropical coast saw rainfall totals of over 100 millimetres - in the space of two to three hours.
That's contributed to communities recording their highest monthly rainfall for any month - in the first seven days of this month.
Places like Rollingstone, Cardwell and Halifax recorded totals between 1,277mm and 1,549mm.
Major flood warnings have been issued for Sunday, with fears swollen rivers could spill over and create even more dangerous conditions.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Myriam Bradbury says rainfall is expected to increase before easing off on Wednesday.
"The north tropical coast will remain the focal point for heavier falls through Sunday. A severe weather warning remains in place from Tully to Ayr - highlighting the area that may see the heaviest falls. This warning encompasses the communities of Townsville, Rollingstone, Ingham, Cardwell and Halifax. Within that warning area, six-hourly rainfall totals may exceed 120mm today. With 24-hour totals approaching 250mm."
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Australians are set to have a greater choice of cheaper birth control pills and menopause medications within weeks.
The federal government has announced a $573.3 million package of women's health policies.
It includes new subsidised oral contraceptives, more endometriosis clinics, access to intra-uterine contraceptive devices; and greater Medicare support for menopause treatments.
The new medication listings on the list of government-subsidised medicines [[the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)]] will take effect from March 1.
The other measures would happen if Labor wins the upcoming federal election.
Government frontbencher Anika Wells tells Sky News, it is an important initiative.
"It's an area that women do really need their government to understand and treat them when they need it. And it is also a way we can ease household budgets, with actual hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a year of cost-of-living relief."
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Counting will resume on Monday in the by-election for the inner-Melbourne seat of Prahan, with the Liberals holding onto a narrow lead against the Greens.
Liberal candidate Rachel Westaway has 51.6 per cent of the two-candidate-preferred vote against the Greens candidate, Angelica Di Camillo.
Meanwhile, in a second by-election in Victoria, Labor has suffered a loss in voter support in the seat of Werribee in Melbourne's west.
The resignation of former treasurer Tim Pallas triggered the by-election.
At this stage, Liberal candidate Steve Murphy holds 29 per cent of the primary vote, with Labor's John Lister on 28.71 per cent.
Nationals leader David Littleproud told Channel Nine, the results so far don't look good for Labor.
"I think Victoria is the intersection of a very poor state Labor government and a very poor federal Labor government. And they've lived experience of both governments and what they're doing, their cost-of-living and the safety of their streets. And so there was Melbourne Cup field in Werribee, and while the Liberal vote increased by a bit over 5 per cent, we have a preferential voting system in this country. And to have nearly a 10 per cent swing is one where I think there'd be many Labor MPs in Victoria this morning waking up very concerned."
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A woman has died - and another injured - after a lightning strike south of Sydney in Cawdor.
Emergency services responded to a call at about 5.30pm on Saturday following reports that two people were hit by tree fragments.
A spokesperson for New South Wales Ambulance says one woman died at the scene and the other was taken to Liverpool Hospital where she remains in a serious but stable condition.
The spokesperson says the women were about six metres from a large tree when it was struck by lightning, resulting in it exploding and sending debris in multiple directions.
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In Tennis, Alex de Minaur has advanced to the Rotterdam Open final for the second-straight year where he will face top seed Carlos Alcaraz..
The world Number Eight secured his spot after defeating Italian Mattia Bellucci in just 67 minutes, with a 6-1 6-2 victory.
De Minaur lost last year's championship match of the Dutch hardcourt tournament to Jannik Sinner.
He now has another chance to become the only Australian apart from Lleyton Hewitt in 2004 to win the Rotterdam Open.
