Good morning central Victoria!
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We’re in for a mostly sunny day - Bendigo 26, Maryborough 24, Castlemaine 24, Kyneton 23, Redesdale 26, Echuca 28.
Catch up on news here:
Incident at Loddon Prison
Corrections Victoria has confirmed there was an emergency situation at Loddon Prison on Thursday night but says it should not be characterised as a riot. Read more here.
Fair Work rules on penalty rates
A decision to cut penalty rates for retail and hospitality workers has been welcomed by Bendigo’s business community while being slammed by local union representatives. Read more here.
Black out risk causes concern
The state government has slammed the management of the national electricity grid after Bendigo was put at risk of an energy blackout in early February. Read more here.
Maiden Gully points appeal dismissed
Maiden Gully has had an appeal against the loss of its points for its round six win over Mandurang for a team sheet error dismissed. Read more here.
Regional
A man who brutally bashed a kangaroo to death with a crowbar with another man near Bunbury will spend almost a year behind bars.
Luke Moore has led a charmed life, so much so they now want to make a movie about him.
He has signed to Creative Artists Agency in LA, one of the largest celebrity management agencies in the world.
The impending closure of Victoria’s Hazelwood Power Station will affect electricity prices in Tasmania.
National News
Planning is under way for Malcolm Turnbull to stand side by side with Donald Trump on the deck of a battleship in New York Harbour to affirm the solidarity of the Australia-US alliance.
The RSL's largest state district representing nearly 5000 members has pleaded with NSW Veterans' Affairs Minister David Elliott to step in and dissolve the state council in the most substantial grassroots revolt yet over the financial scandals plaguing the leadership.
Hundreds of thousands of Australians who work on Sundays will have their take-home pay slashed after a landmark ruling by the national workplace umpire.
National weather radar
International news
A Vietnamese woman accused of poisoning King Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, posted Facebook photos of herself attending parties, in hotel rooms and blowing kisses.
The Australian government is being sued for $103 million for allegedly jailing Indonesian juveniles for people smuggling in adult prisons or holding them in immigration detention between 2008 and 2012.
A former war correspondent arrested in Bali for allegedly possessing hashish has revealed his former employer - international news agency Reuters - has agreed to pay for his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment when he is released from the notorious Kerobokan jail.
On this day | February 24
1854 – A Penny Red with perforations was the first perforated postage stamp to be officially issued for distribution.
1917 – World War I: The U.S. ambassador Walter Hines Page to the United Kingdom is given the Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany pledges to ensure the return of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona to Mexico if Mexico declares war on the United States.
1989 – United Airlines Flight 811, bound for New Zealand from Honolulu, rips open during flight, blowing nine passengers out of the business-class section.
2007 – Japan launches its fourth spy satellite, stepping up its ability to monitor potential threats such as North Korea.
2008 – Fidel Castro retires as the President of Cuba and the Council of Ministers after 32 years. He remains as head of the Communist Party for another 3 years.
The faces of Australia: Ben Keenan
A 32-year-old former Bridgetown resident has proved that his disability will not stop him from learning new skills, such as how to shear sheep.
As a person living with Down Syndrome, Ben Keenan has shown his perseverance when it comes to overcoming obstacles or achieving goals. Read more.