As it happened: US pauses military aid to Ukraine; Cyclone Alfred puts Queensland, NSW on high-alert

Former joint Australian of the year Professor Richard Scolyer, who recently underwent a fresh bout of surgery after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in May 2023, has turned to social media to thank the public for their “kind thoughts and well-wishes”.

“I have undergone what is a complex surgery and am incredibly grateful to my medical team,” Scolyer wrote on X.

“I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to my family and friends for their unconditional love and unwavering support throughout this journey.

“Now I am focused on my recovery and will share more updates when I am able. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.”

And that’s where we’ll leave our live coverage for the day.

In case you’re just catching up, here are today’s headlines:

• Two federal ministers have told this masthead that it’s widely believed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese could have to delay plans to call the election this weekend because of Cyclone Alfred. The prime minister has been widely expected to call the federal election on March 9, the day after the WA state election, with the poll to be held on April 12.
• Both of the AFL’s opening round clashes scheduled for Queensland have been postponed, with large swells also recorded in NSW. Queensland authorities are expecting heavy rain from Thursday to Saturday with possible flooding.
• The United States is pausing military aid to Ukraine just days after President Donald Trump clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, a White House official has confirmed.
• In an unexpected addition to the Australia-US relations debate, WA Premier Roger Cook has shared his honest opinion of US Vice President J.D. Vance, calling him a “knob”.
• And Federal Minister for Women Katy Gallagher has said the Coalition’s proposed ban on Canberra public servants working from home shows the opposition is out of touch with modern families. But Opposition Leader Peter Dutton insists his stance is about an efficient public service.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon is talking to the media after the league postponed two opening-round Queensland games as the state braces for a cyclone.

Watch live below.

Australian shares have clawed back some early losses but finished the day lower, as US tariffs and a looming trade war sent investors running for cover.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index fell 56.3 points, or 0.68 per cent, to 8189.4, while the broader All Ordinaries lost 66 points, or 0.78 per cent, to 8412.8.

The Australian dollar is weaker against the Greenback, down from 62.20 US cents on Monday afternoon to 61.88 US cents, the lowest level in a month.

AAP

To Tasmania, where independent Senator Jacqui Lambie has lobbed into the salmon farming debate, describing herself as “pro-salmon” but saying the fish farms should quit Macquarie Harbour.

Lambie, in an interview with Paddy Manning in the Tasmanian Inquirer, said fish farming in Macquarie Harbour had been a “hot spud” issue for many years and it was “getting worse”.

Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“Go and put them on land,” Lambie reportedly said. “Go and put your fish somewhere else. I’ve had a gutful. You’ve made more than enough money off the arse of Tasmania. Move it on.”

Lambie also said the fish farms could be moved to other waterways or further out to sea, but what was happening in Macquarie Harbour was not sustainable and she would not eat the product.

Macquarie Harbour on the west coast of Tasmania is six times the size of Sydney Harbour with a narrow opening to the sea, and is the only known home of the endangered, ancient Maugean skate, which is threatened by oxygen depletion from salmon farming.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged $37 million for the three salmon companies operating in the harbour – Tassal, Huon Aquaculture and Petuna – to improve oxygenation levels.

Lambie said taxpayers should not be left to clean up the “fucking mess” in the harbour.

“The bottom line is they should be paying [for the oxygenation] anyway ... I don’t know what Albanese thought he was on, but that’s bullshit. It’s such a waste of taxpayers’ money.”

The Coalition also supports the Tasmanian salmon industry. As previously reported by this masthead, Albanese’s most recent visit to Tasmania coincided with a mass salmon kill from a bacterial outbreak in the south-east of the state.

Labor MPs are worried the planned launch date for the federal election could be derailed by Cyclone Alfred, which threatens to flood millions of people in Brisbane and Northern NSW.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity so they could discuss the issue freely, MPs said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would be discouraged by the bad optics of leaving a flood zone to travel to Canberra to instruct the Governor General to announce the start of the election campaign.

The prime minister has been widely expected to call the federal election on March 9, the day after the WA state election, with the poll to be held on April 12.

But two ministers told this masthead that many MPs believed Albanese could have to delay plans to call the election this weekend because of the cyclone.

One of those ministers said: “We won’t know until it crosses Thursday night into Friday morning, and whether it’s a fizzer or comparable to [Cyclone] Yasi.”

Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall on the east coast on Thursday night or Friday morning and dump up to 700 millimetres of rain in three days, with towns from Coffs Harbour in NSW to Noosa in Queensland on flood watch.

However, the full extent of local impacts won’t be known for days to come.

Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s devoted husband of nearly 60 years who avoided the spotlight and inspired her timeless hit Jolene, died on Monday. He was 82.

A statement provided to the Associated Press by Parton’s publicist said Dean died in Nashville, Tennessee. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending.

Dolly Parton with Carl Dean.Credit: Instagram/@dollyparton

“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy,” Parton wrote in a statement.

The family has asked for respect and privacy. No cause of death was announced.

AP

Both of the AFL’s opening round clashes scheduled for Queensland have been postponed, after the Queensland government ordered residents to prepare and remain vigilant for Cyclone Alfred.

Club sources at two of the clubs affected, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order speak freely, said the timing of the new fixtures was yet to be determined.

Authorities are expecting heavy rain from Thursday to Saturday, with isolated areas experiencing up to 700 millimetres of rain, likely leading to flooding.

Read the full story here.

Former joint Australian of the year Professor Richard Scolyer, who recently underwent a fresh bout of surgery after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in May 2023, has turned to social media to thank the public for their “kind thoughts and well-wishes”.

“I have undergone what is a complex surgery and am incredibly grateful to my medical team,” Scolyer wrote on X.

“I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to my family and friends for their unconditional love and unwavering support throughout this journey.

“Now I am focused on my recovery and will share more updates when I am able. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.”

Victoria’s Health Department is urging people to use mosquito repellent, loose-fitting clothing and nets after a second confirmed human case of Japanese encephalitis virus this mosquito season.

While most infections don’t involve symptoms, in rare cases the virus can cause severe illness and even death.

The department said on Tuesday that the virus was identified in a resident of northern Victoria, with residents of southern NSW’s Riverina region also probably exposed. The development follows this season’s first case being confirmed in Victoria on January 21.

The virus has also been detected in people in NSW and Queensland, in the environment along the Murray River between Mildura and Moira, and at piggeries across the eastern states this summer.

There are vaccines available. In Victoria, these are free for specific groups, including in 24 council areas in northern Victoria.

Five human cases of Japanese encephalitis have been reported in NSW and Queensland this mosquito season.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he is open to Australia sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, in a major turnaround from the previous day, when the government poured cold water on the idea.

Albanese’s comments, which set up a clash with the opposition, came as US President Donald Trump ordered a pause in military assistance to Ukraine following his on-camera blow-up with Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House last week, imperilling the nation’s ability to fight Russia’s invasion.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia has a proud record of contributing to peacekeeping missions.Credit: Rhett Whyman

British Prime Minister Keith Starmer has called for an international “coalition of the willing” to help enforce any ceasefire agreement between Ukraine and Russia, an idea backed by France.

Read the full story here.