Australia has welcomed thousands of new citizens in ceremonies held across the country.
More than 22,000 people from more than 150 countries took the citizenship pledge today on the national Australia Day public holiday.
Denzel is originally from South Africa, and he is celebrating his Australian citizenship after ten years living in Australia.
"Um, it's it's, I honestly don't know how to describe it. Like the venue is just really great. It's a really great feeling to be in Australia. So it's taken a while but yeah,I mean, I spent most of my life here so, it honestly it feels like a it feels natural. It feels like I shouldn't be here."
Amar initially moved to Australia on a working Visa fourteen years ago.
Today, he celebrates becoming an Australian citizen, along with his wife and two children.
"It's wonderful like it's it's a dream come true like it's been like when when the migrants first time and then like had a very good life here and I'm very happy for the family and the kids that we're going to have a wonderful life in Australia."
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Thousands of people have gathered at Invasion Day and Survival Day rallies across the country.
Protesters in all major cities have marched in solidarity with First Nations people, and in recognition of January 26 as a day of mourning for many Indigenous people.
The Australia Day holiday is held on the same date that the First Fleet established a convict settlement at Sydney Cove, marking the beginning of European Colonisation of Australia in 1788.
Sissy Eileen-Austin spoke at the Invasion Day rally in Sydney, where thousands met at Belmore Park before marching through the city.
Ms Austin says it's a day of significant pain for many Indigenous people.
"The lead up to and the day of January 26, has forever been a gut-wrenching one, a day where a country celebrates a violent invasion and genocide. Over the years, thousands have begun turning up to protest against everything that is celebrated on January 26."
Among other things, organisers across the country have called for the closure of youth prisons, for an end to Aboriginal deaths in custody and an end to the forced removal of Indigenous children from their families.
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Cyclone Kirrily has been downgraded to a tropical low, but Queensland's premier warns the threat is not over.
The weather system brought damaging winds and rainfall totals from 100-150 millimetres, but there has been minimal damage to property and no lives have been lost.
64,000 homes and businesses remain without power in north Queensland.
The State's premier Steven Miles says while the community is experiencing a sense of relief, preparations are now also underway for forecast flooding.
"The threat is not over though the bureau is still advising that there is a lot of rain still to come and that the risk of flooding remains high. So we're not out of the woods but we will continue to work to be prepared to support Queensland communities. Our energy workers are out there on the ground right now working to reconnect power."
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The heatwave which has baked swathes of the country over the past week is forecast to ease with a southerly change pushing the system offshore.
Large tracts of central and eastern Australia are enduring another sweltering day, after temperatures reached above 40 degrees and some inland areas reached 50 degrees on Thursday.
As the heat continues east, Newcastle and Taree are expected to reach 41 degrees, and Grafton and Gosford 40 degrees.
Singleton in the Hunter Valley is expecting a top of 43 degrees and Scone 41 degrees.
But a southerly change beginning later this afternoon [[January 26]] will see temperatures drop 10 to 15 degrees.
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The federal government has hit back at criticism from the Opposition regarding its amended stage three tax cuts.
Under the reworked scheme, anyone earning less than $150,000 will receive a larger tax cut, while those earning more are in line for a smaller benefit than earlier promised.
Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton has accused the government of political opportunism, saying the amended scheme is a ploy to win votes.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has defended the government's decision, saying the changes are about improving the lives of those who have been hit hardest by the cost of living crisis.
"It beggars belief that the Liberals and Nationals don't want a middle Australia to get more help with the cost of living it shows how diabolically out of touch Peter Dutton and the Liberals and Nationals are this is not about politics. This is about people."
The changes to the stage three tax cuts will need to pass parliament with the support of the Greens and cross bench before they are due to come into effect in July.
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In football, Socceroos defender Harry Souttar says the team will have to be patient in attack in the knockout stage of the Asian Cup in Qatar.
Kyrgyzstan managing a draw against Oman on the final day of group stage action means Australia will play Indonesia on Sunday night [[2230 aedt kickoff]] in the Round of 16.
Australia topped their group in the group stage, but only scored four goals in their three games.
And the ability of teams to use rather defensive game plans to try and stifle them will only increase in the knockout stage.
Souttar says Australia must avoid getting frustrated.
"Yeah, maybe sometimes it's frustrating to watch, you know, when a team sits behind the ball, and you've got to break them down. But it's not going to be easy. They're defending deep, and there is not a lot of space to work in. So, we have got to be patient."
Australia will play either South Korea or Saudi Arabia in the quarter-finals if they manaage to get past Indonesia.
Australia hasn't played Indonesia since 2010, when the Socceroos beat them one-nil in Brisbane.
