The Victorian Government has announced that an extra $32 million in drought funding has been made available for drought-affected farmers in the driest parts of the state. 

The Government will establish a Farmers Drought Fund which includes payments of up to $3000 for farming families facing ‘extreme’ hardships, and grants for on-farm drought preparedness.

Labor is intensifying its demands on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to release the transcript of a conversation with President Donald Trump, amid accusations Australia is supporting a US Justice Department inquiry.

The Opposition has accused Scott Morrison of cosying up to Mr Trump at the expense of Australia's national interest.

Hundreds of residents in Far North Queensland have described how the ground shook after a suspected meteor streaked across the sky above Cairns.

The event occurred at approximately 1:40pm yesterday and was witnessed in dozens of locations across the far north.

Astronomer David Reneke said that it was most likely a type of meteor known as a “daytime fireball” - a type of slow-moving meteor that burns and melts.

New data released by Queensland Health shows that tens of thousands of Queensland patients in emergency care aren’t being seen within clinically recommended timeframes.

Following the release of the announcement, which stated that 27% of emergency patients weren’t being seen on time last month, Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said that that the state’s doctors and nurses were struggling to cope with the sheer escalating numbers of patients.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has dismissed suggestions US President Donald Trump froze aid to pressure him to launch a probe into Joe Biden.

Ukraine's leader said that in discussions with Trump, he repeatedly stressed the importance of US military aid to help Ukraine battle Russian-backed separatists.

The Pentagon announced plans in June to send $US250 million ($A373 million) in aid to Ukraine, but its delivery was delayed, before the phone call took place.

Bulgaria's highest court has announced it will now hear the case of Australian Jock Palfreeman a fortnight earlier than originally scheduled.

The Supreme Court of Cassation was originally due to review the 32-year old’s parole on October 23rd, but announced it was moving the case forward due to the amount of public interest in the trial, and the restrictions placed on the convicted Australian’s movements

Palfreeman, originally from Sydney, was sentenced to 20 years' jail in 2009 for the fatal stabbing of law student Andrei Monov during a brawl in 2007.

An $870 million program offered by the Victoria State Government will upgrade the roads and fix the potholes.

1800 km of the roads will be fixed, 150,000 potholes will be repaired, and 30,000km roadside vegetation will be trimmed. Premier Daniel Andrews says the project aims to allow people get home safer and sooner.

Aside from fixing the roads, the government also wants to commit on rail investment, especially for the Metro 2 tunnel project which will run from Clifton to Fisherman Bend and Newport.

Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide are expecting an early summer, with warm weather predicted across Australia’s south-east coast.

A hot air mass from Western Australia is moving across South Australia and Victoria on Wednesday and Thursday, and expected to hit New South Wales on the weekend.

Adelaide is expected to hit 33 degrees on Saturday.

Several letterboxes on the Sunshine Coast have been filled with cheaply-made explosives, causing major damage and prompting a police that residents are at risk of injury. 

With dozens of letterboxes being destroyed across the region, officers said they believe young people are responsible for the destruction, with the explosions commencing at the start of the school holidays.

Inspector Mark Cordwell said the letterbox bombings pose a risk not just to residents and neighbours, but also to those making the explosive, as well as causing major damage to property.

Severe thunderstorms north of Brisbane in the early hours of yesterday morning flooded homes and businesses, and brought more than 100 millimetres of rain in parts of Moreton Bay and the Sunshine Coast..

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe storm warning just after midnight on Monday, after the storms developed along a trough that moved gradually north of Brisbane.