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At least six homes have been destroyed as a bushfire continues burning in western Victoria.
More than 500 firefighters are tackling the blaze west of Ballarat that has torn through about 16,000 hectares.
Residents of Amphitheatre and Elmhurst have been warned it is still not safe to return to their homes, as authorities warn of worsening fire conditions this week.
Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes says more than 220 impact assessments have been done to date as efforts to suppress the fire continue.
"We do hold concerns about the weather this week, particularly Wednesday into Thursday. I was speaing to the chief of the CFA, Jason Heffernan yesterday. He expressed his grave concern about what may eventuate on Wednesday."
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Donald Trump remains comfortably on track to secure the Republican Party's nomination for the U-S Presidential election, after defeating his sole remaining challenger in her home state.
Mr Trump has easily beaten Nikki Haley in South Carolina.
He's won every Republican state primary election so far.
Despite the seeming inevitability of Mr Trump's nomination, Ms Haley is refusing to withdraw from the contest.
Ms Haley, who served under Mr Trump when he was President, as U-S Ambassador to the United Nations, says she owes voters an alternative.
"South Carolina has spoken. We are the fourth state to do so. In the next ten days, another 21 states and territories will speak. They have the right to a real choice. Not a Soviet-style with only one candidate. And I have a duty to give them that choice."
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Candidates in a federal by-election are making their final pitches to voters as the government gears up for its first major ballot box litmus test.
The Dunkley electorate is located in Melbourne's southeast which will go to a by-election this Saturday [[MARCH 2]].
It comes after Labor MP Peta Murphy died last December following a battle with breast cancer.
Labor holds the seat with a 6.3 per cent margin, but during by-elections, the swing in government-held seats is generally around seven per cent, putting the electorate within reach for the Liberal Party.
The candidates include Labor's Jodie Belyea and Liberal candidate Nathan Conroy.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has acknowledged the difficulty of the battle.
"What we need in the local community, in Jodie Belyea. She has run an amazing campaign. Six days to go in order to make this fighter a local voice in government over the next period. What we're doing is putting out a positive plan, and in Jodie we believe we have a great candidate who's standing up on cost of living issues."
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Minister for Defence [[and Deputy Prime Minister]] Richard Marles has admitted that the Australian Defence Force has culture issues within its leadership team.
It comes as a new national cyber security co-ordinator starts tomorrow, after the predecessor was recalled to defence over a workplace matter.
Mr Marles has criticised former coalition governments and how changing defence ministers has impacted the morale of the A-D-F.
He told Sky News he wants the A-D-F and the Department of Defence to be at a standard of "excellence".
"Because I think there are issues of culture within the senior leadership and the more general leadership of the ADF and the department which needs challenging, and that's something which I say I have had complete collaboration with both the secretary of defence and the CDF."
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Australia's Elizabeth Debicki has won the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award for outstanding performance by a female actor.
It was in a drama series for her role as Diana, Princess of Wales in The Crown.
Debicki beat The Morning Show's Jennifer Aniston, The Last of Us' Bella Ramsey, The Diplomat's Keri Russell and Succession's Sarah Snook.
Lily Gladstone also won best female actor in a leading role for the film Killers of the Flower Moon, beating Australian actor Margot Robbie in Barbie.
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In cricket, Australia has defeated New Zealand, to win their best-of-three Twenty20 series in New Zealand, two games to one.
Australia has beaten New Zealand in the third and deciding game in Auckland by 27 runs.
The match was interrupted by rain, and Australia, batting first, made 4 for 118 from 10.4 overs.
Chasing a rain-adjusted target 126 from 10.4 overs, New Zealand could only make 3 for 98.
Australia's Matt Short won the Player of the Match award for scoring 27 and taking one wicket.
Australian captain Mitch Marsh won the Player of the Series award.
