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As flooding is predicted across parts of South Australia, premier Peter Malinauskas is holding a press conference warning residents to prepare themselves for the “highly unpredictable” weather event:
double quotation markWe are anticipating a highly unpredictable weather event throughout the course of this weekend.
South Australia faces the prospect of a tropical storm system over many parts of South Australia, regional communities and also potentially metropolitan Adelaide.
The tropical nature of the weather system is something that South Australians don’t regularly see, but it isn’t without precedent.
He is urging people to prepare as rainfall in metropolitan Adeialaide and other parts of the state is expected to reach more than 100ml over the course of the weekend.
If the rain comes in high intensity in a short period of time, people should anticipate flash flooding, Malinauskas warns.
ShareUpdated at 06.15 CET
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The Bangkok Post is reporting that a 58-year-old Australian tourist has died after an alleged beating in Phuket.
In response to Guardian Australia’s questions about the incident, a department of foreign affairs and trade spokesperson confirmed that they are providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Thailand.
In a statement they said they were unable to provide further details as the family has requested privacy.
double quotation markWe send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time. They have requested privacy at this time.
Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.
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Ima CaldwellEmergency services say wild weather risks remain in NSW
Despite a break in the rain, NSW SES has urged Sydney commuters to “take care”.
“Never drive, ride or walk through flood water,” said the NSW SES assistant commissioner Sean Kearns.
More than 300 SES volunteers were deployed across Sydney, responding to at least 560 incidents including flood rescues, inundated properties, leaking roofs and fallen trees.
Kearns said:
double quotation markFurther rainfall is forecast to continue today across Sydney and surrounding districts, including the Central Coast and Hunter regions, with additional heavy rainfall possible before conditions ease by Saturday morning.
Debris and water remains on some roads after last night’s storms and flash flooding.
ShareUpdated at 06.20 CET
How does this potential 100ml downpour compare to South Australia’s other flooding events?
Malinauskas says:
double quotation markIn recent memory of South Australians, we did see a 61mm rain event on December in 2016. That rain did happen in a pretty short window and resulted in isolated flooding events in metropolitan Adelaide.
In February 2014, similarly there was 75mm of ran that occured in the city itself. Now that happened over a longer period of time but there were isolated flooding events on.
So we have seen events like this in the past, but in the event of the high end of the forecasts are realised and we do see 80mm of rain on Sunday or 100 mils across the weekend, we should anticipate there will be flash flooding events in some locations.
The premier acknowledged the rain will be “much needed” in some parts of the state, and welcome for pastoralists and the grain growing community, but an unwelcome risk to the livelihoods of others, such as grape growers.
ShareSA premier warns residents to prepare for ‘highly unpredictable’ weekend weatherAs flooding is predicted across parts of South Australia, premier Peter Malinauskas is holding a press conference warning residents to prepare themselves for the “highly unpredictable” weather event:
double quotation markWe are anticipating a highly unpredictable weather event throughout the course of this weekend.
South Australia faces the prospect of a tropical storm system over many parts of South Australia, regional communities and also potentially metropolitan Adelaide.
The tropical nature of the weather system is something that South Australians don’t regularly see, but it isn’t without precedent.
He is urging people to prepare as rainfall in metropolitan Adeialaide and other parts of the state is expected to reach more than 100ml over the course of the weekend.
If the rain comes in high intensity in a short period of time, people should anticipate flash flooding, Malinauskas warns.
ShareUpdated at 06.15 CET
Jordyn BeazleyA senior NSW police officer has said it has proposed to speak to the women and children with links to Islamic state fighters before they return to Australia.
However, deputy police commissioner David Hudson said it’s the women and children’s right to choose if they speak to police or not, and they have “no power to exclude” them from entering the country.
Hudson told budget estimates that five adults and seven children are expected to return to NSW. He said a joint investigation into the individiuals is being conducted by the NSW police, ASIO, and the AFP.
Asked if the cohort of Australians repatriated in 2022 spoke to agencies, he said:
double quotation markA lot of that was done by Commonwealth agencies overseas before they were put on the plane and came back.
He said the monitoring of Australians that returned in 2022 and the children that returned in 2019 remains ongoing.
ShareUpdated at 05.52 CET
Australia will eventually deliver its last letter, AusPost chief says
Australia will eventually follow Denmark’s lead and abandon its letter service, with deliveries of handwritten notes, Christmas cards and household bills destined to become a thing of the past.
The volume of letters sent across the nation is at a 90-year low and steep declines continue, Australia Post group chief executive and managing director Paul Graham said, telling AAP:
double quotation markEventually there will be a day when we’ll deliver the last letter. I don’t know when that is, but that business is structurally broken and will never recover.
While letters from individuals represented only 3% of the 734.2m sent in the six months to December 2025, businesses and government agencies were also shifting to digital correspondence.
The delivery of a record 283m parcels in the last half of the year helped Australia Post record a modest $50.4m pre-tax profit, according to its half-year results released on Friday.
Photograph: William Caram/AlamyShareUpdated at 05.29 CET
Nick VisserThat’s all from me! Natasha May will take things from here as the weekend beckons. Take care.
ShareMagda Szubanski in remission from cancer
Beloved comedian Magda Szubanski says she is breathing a sigh of relief after announcing that her rare blood cancer is in remission, AAP reports.
The Kath and Kim star shared the news on her Instagram on Friday, about nine months on from being diagnosed with stage-four mantle cell lymphoma, described as a “rare and fast-moving blood cancer”.
“I wanted to share the fantastic news, which is I’ve completed chemo and I am now in remission – so phew, big relief,” Szubanski said on Instagram.
double quotation markIt’s not a cure, but because I got a good remission, that hopefully means I’ll keep the cancer at bay for a good long time.
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ShareUpdated at 04.54 CET
Jordyn BeazleyNSW counter-terrorism minister unaware where women and children linked to Islamic State will reside
The counter-terrorism minister for New South Wales said she was unaware where the women and children detained in Syria over links to Islamic State fighters will be residing when those that are from the state return.
Yasmin Catley, who is also the minister for police, said while under questioning in budget estimates earlier today that she had been briefed by the senior police officer David Hudson and the departments handling the matter but is not an active decision-maker in the process.
Catley said the matter is being handled by the premier’s department, and the department of communities and justice.
The shadow minister for counter-terrorism, Anthony Roberts, said after the comments were made that Catley being briefed was not enough. He said:
double quotation markIt beggars belief that the police minister does not know where these individuals will be settled, or which communities will be directly impacted.
Yasmin Catley. Photograph: Steven Markham/AAPShareUpdated at 04.36 CET
ASIC sues Budget Direct, alleging insurer overcharged thousands of customers
Tens of thousands of Budget Direct customers lost promised insurance discounts worth a total of $3.3m in savings, the corporate regulator claims in a new lawsuit.
AAP reports ASIC launched legal action against Auto & General Services Pty Ltd, the insurer managing Budget Direct products, after 39,000 customers were alleged to have been overcharged for premiums over several years.
The misconduct occurred between March 2020 and July 2024, the regulator says. It is seeking declarations and fines from the court.
Budget Direct allegedly promoted significant discounts of up to 30% for customers who purchased car, home or motorbike insurance policies online.
ASIC alleges the advertising was misleading because customers were not told the online discounts would be removed following any changes made to their policies, such as a change in address.
The average premium discount loss amounted to almost $100. ASIC claims Auto & General first became aware of the problem as early as 2016, but failed to inform affected customers for years.
Sarah Court, the ASIC deputy chair, said in a statement:
double quotation markAustralians should be able to take insurers at their word, especially when it comes to discounts that influence their decision to take up a policy and compare it to other products in the market.
We allege Budget Direct’s conduct was misleading and deprived tens of thousands of Australians millions of dollars in savings they were promised.
ShareIma CaldwellSinkhole appears in Sydney CBD, prompting one school to close
A large hole has appeared at an intersection in Sydney’s CBD after flash flooding on Thursday evening.
It is located next to Hyde Park and St Mary’s Cathedral, at a busy intersection between College Street and Prince Albert Road.
The front wheels of a Coles delivery truck fell into the hole on Friday morning, prompting an emergency response involving at least two tow trucks, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
A burst water pipe may be responsible, with Sydney Water cutting off the supply for nearby buildings. A spokesperson for St Mary’s Cathedral said it remains open for “business as usual”, but its toilets have been closed.
However, the adjoining St Mary’s Cathedral College confirmed that high school students had been sent home. “Primary students, kindergarten to year six, are being collected by parents and carers,” a college spokesperson said, noting the school should reopen on Monday.
ShareUpdated at 04.11 CET
Sydney’s Inner West council will march in the Mardi Gras parade
Sydney’s Inner West council will march for the first time on Saturday during the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade.
The council, including about 80 people, will march under a banner reading “Lots of love from the Inner West”. The float will celebrate programs to support LGBTQI+ residents, including the opening of Newtown’s pride centre, support for drag story time and the new pride history walk.
The mayor, Darcy Byrne, said in a statement:
double quotation markThe Inner West has long been a place where diversity is celebrated and equality is fought for. This year, we are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our community in one of the most powerful public displays of solidarity.
This partnership is just the start. We’re committed to working with Mardi Gras on a longer-term relationship, as we look towards the festival’s 50-year anniversary in 2028.
ShareUpdated at 03.59 CET
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