In this bulletin;
- New South Wales's opposition unveils new Shadow Cabinet;
- Alleged Bondi shooter moved to Goulbourn supermax prison;
- And in tennis, Novak Djokovic withdraws from next week's Adelaide International.
The New South Wales opposition has unveiled a new Shadow Cabinet, as the Coalition steps up its campaign ahead of the next state election.
Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane says the new line-up blends experienced former ministers with fresh MPs, arguing it is ready to govern after what she describes as stalled leadership under the Minns Labor Government.
Nationals Leader Gurmesh Singh has taken on the Shadow Small Business portfolio, while Brendan Moylan will serve as Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Regional Crime, and Tanya Thompson as Shadow Minister for Emergency Services and Disaster Recovery.
Monica Tudor-Hope and Jacqui Munro also join the Shadow Ministry.
Ms Sloane says the Coalition will develop fresh policies in the coming months, offering voters a clear alternative at the election, due in 14 months.
“We have an exciting team that we’ve brought together. This is a team that is ready to govern. This is a team that has experienced former ministers, blending that with fresh new talent: people that know how to run government and people that know how New South Wales is changing.”
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Bondi accused gunman Naveed Akram has been transferred to the state’s most secure prison, reserved for its highest-risk inmates.
The 24-year-old was moved from Sydney’s Long Bay jail to Goulburn Correctional Centre, a super-maximum security facility about 200 kilometres south of the city.
Corrective Services NSW says the prison is designed to hold inmates who pose the greatest security risk.
He faces 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder, over the terror attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December and is due to appear next in court on the 8th of April.
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Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has pleaded not guilty to US charges of narco-terrorism following his capture and transfer to New York.
The 63-year-old faces four counts, including conspiring to import cocaine and possessing machine guns and other prohibited weapons, charges he denies, insisting he remains Venezuela’s president.
His wife, Cilia Flores, has also pleaded not guilty, with their next court appearance scheduled for 17 March.
Prosecutors allege Mr Maduro led a cocaine-trafficking network tied to Mexican cartels, Colombia’s FARC rebels and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang.
US defence attorney Ilan Katz says Washington does not recognise Mr Maduro as a head of state under US law.
“In the view of the United States, they have a perfectly legitimate cause to detain him wherever or however they can to bring him to justice in the United States, or in the case of Osama Bin Laden, to execute him and take him down. ... In this case Cartel de los Soles in Venezuela, has been deemed a terrorist organisation. The viewpoint is we are not looking at the president of Venezuela, we are looking at a terrorist under US law.”
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A report by the Climate Council is warning that catastrophic blazes similar to the 2025 Los Angeles fires are now threatening the outskirts of several Australian cities.
This analysis arrives as researchers examine how urban fringes share the same dangerous traits as LA, specifically identifying that nearly 6.9 million residents in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, and Hobart live in suburbs bordered by volatile bush or grassland.
The report is advising that leaders focus their attention on these capital city residents who will face extreme vulnerability due to the proximity of flammable vegetation to dense housing.
The report is emphasising that up to 90 per cent of homes in these areas pre-date modern bushfire standards, which significantly increases the risk of ignition from ember attacks and house-to-house fire spread.
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Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from next week’s Adelaide International, saying he is not yet physically ready to return to competition as he prepares for a record-extending 11th title at the Australian Open.
The Serbian star posted on Instagram that his focus has shifted fully to Melbourne, with the season’s first Grand Slam beginning just a week after the Adelaide tournament.
“To all my fans in Adelaide, unfortunately I’m not quite physically ready to compete in the Adelaide International next week. It’s personally very disappointing to me as I have such great memories of winning the title there two years ago. My focus is now on my preparation for the Australian Open.”
