What we learned; Monday 22 January
And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here are the highlights from today:
Queensland residents have been told to stock up on food and fuel up cars to prepare for the coming Cyclone Kirrily, developing off the coast of the state.
Kirrily is expected to cross the coast on Thursday afternoon between Innisfail and Airlie Beach as a category three cyclone, with severe impact likely, especially if it crosses near or south of Townsville.
Australia’s assistant foreign minister, Tim Watts, says the Israeli prime minister’s comments dismissing the idea of a Palestinian state are “deeply disappointing”.
The federal government has poured cold water on reported changes to stage-three tax cuts, saying there was no truth to rumours that specific adjustments were being made to the scheme as reported by other media today.
The ABC’s union members have passed a vote of no confidence in managing director David Anderson after the sacking of broadcaster Antoinette Lattouf.
NT emergency services are on standby to evacuate the community of Kalkarindji if rising water levels in the Victoria River, which runs south and south-west around Katherine, become worse.
The water supply to Port Douglas in far north Queensland has been turned off “until further notice”, according to Douglas shire council.
The Victorian opposition has dropped its support for a treaty with the state’s Indigenous people, citing concerns about cultural heritage laws.
There have been 33 drowning deaths across the country so far this summer, according to Surf Life Saving Australia.
And Australia’s most notorious disgraced police officer, Roger Rogerson, has died in jail.
Thanks so much for your company today. We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow morning with all the news of the day.
Updated
Thunderstorms are possible in Queensland’s west and north-west on Tuesday, the BoM is reporting this afternoon, but they’re not expected to be severe.
⛈️Tuesday forecast: severe thunderstorms are not expected. Thunderstorms are possible in the west and northwest, with a very low (less than 10%) chance of damaging wind gusts, too low to include on the map. Today's warnings: https://t.co/FBmpsInT9o pic.twitter.com/pQnuaeONOQ
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) January 22, 2024
Updated
