Alice Springs - 0870

Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark have begun the second day of their royal visit to Australia after waking in the red desert sand of Uluru in Central Australia.

The first Danish state visit to Australia in 40 years starts at the country's magnificent red heart. 

Traditional owners and scientists want buffel grass recognised as a Weed of National Significance, but the cattle industry opposes the move because it relies on the species for fodder.

Another burst of tropical moisture and heavy rain will descend through the heart of Australia during the coming days.

An "incredible" organisation delivering pregnancy and postnatal support in Alice Springs is calling for funding from both Northern Territory and federal governments to keep their doors open. 

NT farmers counting the cost of livestock deaths and crop damage say they feel overlooked by the emergency flood response.

Floodwater is entering parts of Katherine's town centre and overwhelming the town's levee system. The water level is expected to peak at 19.2 metres tonight, and will remain a "major flood risk" until Sunday evening.

A therapeutic rehabilitation service may have to find a new home after a severe flood in Alice Springs left its rooms unusable.

Alice Springs residents have reported not receiving an energy bill for 12 months, and then being threatened with power cuts unless they entered unaffordable payment plans.

Frustrated travellers say they spent days stranded in outback SA trying to cross the Stuart Highway with no word from authorities. 

The Northern Territory government's plan to increase the mandatory minimum sentence for domestic violence murder has been panned by the prevention sector, as the NT attorney-general appears to backtrack on earlier remarks.

An emergency has been declared as a tropical low brings heavy rain, rising river levels and flooding risks to Central Australia and the Barkly region. 

The inquest into three-year-old Mitchell Thomas's death in an Alice Springs house fire in 2023 has finished hearing evidence, with the coroner examining standards of maintenance, record-keeping and electrical safety regulation in the NT's public housing.

Disaster recovery funding is activated by the NT and federal governments, as flood-affected communities begin counting the cost.

Business managers and researchers are concerned that a sharp decline in tobacco sales in Alice Springs could mean more people are taking up smoking illegal tobacco.

Police responding to a disturbance outside the Todd Tavern were involved in the incident, including an officer who was inside the vehicle when it was hit.

Authorities allege a 38-year-old man drove his ute towards police officers in Alice Springs overnight, ramming a parked police car.

The tropical low currently flooding outback Australia is tipped to track south this weekend, reaching south-east states early next week.

The Alice Springs Town Council has passed a motion to move citizenship ceremonies, traditionally held on January 26, to an alternative date. It comes after the mayor decided not to take part in formal council Australia Day events earlier this year.

There are widespread warnings for intense rain and potential flooding, as summer storms hit southern states and an unusually slow-moving system soaks central Australia.