TRANSCRIPT
- Results in two by-elections in Victoria too close to call
- A fifth hostage swap completed as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal
- Australian skiers win gold, silver and bronze medals at the FIS Freestyle Aerials World Cup
Results have yet to be finalised for two by-elections in Victoria.
The Liberal Party's Rachel Westaway holds a narrow lead against the Greens party in the Prahran by-election - with 51.6 per cent of the two-candidate-preferred vote.
It could be at least a week before a winner is officially declared.
The Labor heartland seat of Werribee in the western suburbs is too close to call, however Labor has suffered a double-digit swing against it.
The seat has historically been a Labor stronghold, with the party holding the seat since 1979.
More than half of all votes were cast as pre-poll votes and that could make the difference to the winner who is declared, with the major parties securing less than 30 per cent of the primary vote.
**
Northern Australia is on alert for more severe weather, including possible cyclones in Western Australia and floods in north Queensland.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings from Tully to Ayr in north Queensland, while Townsville, Rolling Stone, Cardwell and Halifax are set to record over 250mm rainfalls.
Meanwhile, the Bureau's senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury says northern Western Australia need to be prepared for a possible cyclone.
"We see the low pressure trough lying through northern parts of western Australia and the Northern Territory, merging into the monsoon trough through Queensland. That has already brought significant amount of rain to Queensland."
North Queensland has been battling with wet weather over the past week, which has left communities out of power and forced evacuations.
**
A fifth hostage swap has been completed as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
183 Palestinians have been released by Israeli authorities in exchange for three Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy appeared in a worse condition than the 18 other hostages already freed under the truce agreed in January after 15 months of war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the sight of the frail hostages was shocking and would be addressed.
The brother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, Yotam Cohen, says there is anger over the state of the hostages - and he has a message for US President Donald Trump.
"We'd like to address US President Donald Trump. Mr. President sir, we know that you are committed to the release of all remaining hostages and that the agreement which you successfully secured. It is thanks to you that our hostages are being released from captivity and coming home. But we are very concerned with what we are seeing. We see how Netanyahu is attempting to sabotage the deal which you made happen."
**
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered a mineral partnership with the United States in exchange for support for the war with Russia.
Mr Zelenskyy has offered US President Donald Trump a deal involving the supply to the US of Ukraine's rare earths and other minerals.
Mr Zelenskyy says the deal is possible, but Ukraine needs security guarantees.
"This is what I told President Trump when we were together, I told him "This is the Victory Plan". Why Victory? Victory for all. We will protect those trillions. We will prevent Russia from mining the minerals which will later be used to produce technologies for the three countries of the axis of evil."
Ukraine is now facing running out of US foreign aid, after Mr Trump ordered to pause foreign aid programs immediately.
**
Renewed US interest has given a boost to Greenland's independence movement, ahead of the 11th of March election.
Greenland, home to a large US military base, is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a longtime US ally.
Last month, Mr Trump left open the possibility that the American military might be used to secure Greenland, as well as the Panama Canal.
On Thursday, Greenland's ruling Siumut party, which previously viewed independence as a long-term goal, said it seeks to hold a vote on independence following next month's general election.
Juno Berthelsen, candidate for Greenland's pro-independence party Naleraq, says Mr Trump's remarks have given the independence movement "more momentum".
"Trump's comments and the new line from the new administration in the US has definitely spurred on or made the independence movement have more momentum now than earlier, you could say that."
**
Now in sports.
For the first time in history, Australian skiers have swept the podium at the FIS aerials World Cup in the United States.
Laura Peel, Danielle Scott, Abbey Wilcox and Airleigh Frigo have taken the top four spots in the World Cup event.
Australia has sent six skiers to attend the World Cup in Deer Valley.
Ms Peel, who won gold in the World Cup, told FIS TV that "the weather didn't cooperate", and it's still surreal that the team had swept the podium.
