TRANSCRIPT
- Authorities defend weather warnings after flash flooding on Victoria's Great Ocean Road.
- Donald Trump threatens more tariffs in his quest for Greenland
- A Matildas veteran suffers a potentially career-ending injury
Authorities in Victoria have defended their preparedness after a violent storm along the state's Great Ocean Road forced the evacuation of hundreds of people and swept away cars and caravans.
The first triple-zero call related to flooding at the Wye River holiday park went out at 1.08pm on Thursday, followed by another at 1.20pm.
The Bureau of Meteorology's Diana Eadie says a severe weather warning for the popular tourist spot was issued just before midday, and a second urgent alert went out less than an hour later warning of catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flash flooding.
Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner, Tim Wiebusch has maintained the weather warnings were as timely as they could be.
"That situation occurred very dynamically. The emergency warnings were in place. The Bureau had been issuing them from just prior to midday, and were continually followed up throughout the afternoon. And that included an emergency warning using the emergency alert phone messaging system that went to over 10,000 mobile phones and landlines in that area."
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Firearms advocates have raised major objections to a planned overhaul of the nation's gun laws, days before Parliament returns early to consider the legislation.
The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia says import restrictions on gun accessories such as shotgun vests and speed loaders will make life harder for elite competitors.
The Association has called for exemptions to be introduced so sporting shooters can continue importing the equipment they need.
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United States President Donald Trump has threatened to impose trade tariffs on countries that do not support his plan to take control of Greenland.
He has made the threat at a White House meeting, though he did not say which countries might be punished.
Meanwhile, a bipartisan delegation of U-S politicians has met the leaders of Denmark and Greenland in Copenhagen.
The party includes Republican senator Lisa Murkowski, who says they want to offer assurances of congressional and public support after Donald Trump's threats to seize the Arctic island.
"Greenland needs to be viewed as our ally, not as an asset. And I think that's what you're hearing with this delegation... It is important to underscore that when you ask the American people whether or not they think it is a good idea for the United States to acquire Greenland, the vast majority, some 75 per cent, will say ‘we do not think that that is a good idea’."
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Uganda's long-time President is leading in the vote count for the country's election.
Provisional results from more than half of the polling stations tallied so far shows President Yoweri Museveni has more than 75 per cent of the vote, while his main challenger Bobi Wine has around 20 per cent.
The election has been marred by an internet shutdown, voting delays, and opposition allegations of ballot stuffing and detentions by security forces.
National Unity Platform representative, Benjamin Katana, says the Electoral Commission's vote count itself is also concerning.
"The manner in which the votes are being presented raises more questions than answers... Because all along our questions have been on transmission. But the opaque manner in which he's presenting these results clearly shows that there is a problem in as far as transparency."
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A rare piece of Australian sporting heritage is being sold at auction.
The item in question is the baggy green cap worn by Donald Bradman in his last home Test series, which was India's first, shortly after the country gained independence in August 1947.
Lloyds Auctions are expecting a healthy price for the cap before the sale closes on January the 26th - with the current bid already at $445,000.
Prior to the auction, the baggy green had been held by the family of Indian Test cricketer Ranga Sohini, who was given the cap at the conclusion of the series.
Unlike modern Australian players, the Test cricketers of Bradman's era wore a different cap for each series - and this particular cap is one of less than a dozen known to exist.
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To sport and in football news, Matildas veteran Chloe Logarzo Berryhill has been stretchered off the field with a potentially career-ending injury during Western Sydney's A-League match against Brisbane.
The 31-year-old previously tore the ACL in her right knee in 2021.
She had joined Western Sydney in a bid to make the Matildas' Asian Cup squad in her final season of professional football before retiring.
