Good morning and welcome to the Morning Buzz for Tuesday, February 28. There’s a very high chance of showers and thunderstorms today as we head for tops of 26 to 27 degrees across the Sydney area.
Traffic Buzz
- CARLTON: A truck has broken down on the Princes Hwy at Jubilee Ave.
- HOMEBUSH WEST: One westbound lane is closed on the M4 just past Homebush Bay Dr.
- Passengers travelling towards the City on the T1 North Shore Line, and away from the City on the T1 Northern Line and the T1 Western Line, are advised to allow additional travel time due to urgent signal equipment repairs at Wynyard. Passengers should also listen to announcements and check indicator boards.
News Buzz
BATTY’S BATTLE: She endured years of domestic violence and sexual abuse. She was dragged through hundreds of court matters and custody battles. Her son was murdered at the hands of her ex-partner. But there was another blow former Australian of the Year and domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty had to deal with; one that would test her in unexpected ways.
UNI EXODUS: Lucinda Bell used to wake up on two-and-a-half acres with kangaroos outside her window in Grafton. "Now when I look out, I have a view of the Sydney skyline...it's a bit different."
OSCARS FIASCO: The accountants for the Academy Awards have accepted responsibility for the mistake that led to the Oscars ending in chaos with La La Land wrongly named best picture winner instead of Moonlight. | All the (legitimate) winners from the Oscars 2017
BUSH TAKES ON TRUMP: Former United States President George W. Bush, in his first interview since the start of Donald Trump's administration, said he sees a need for an investigation into the Trump team's ties to Russia and voiced scepticism about his successor's approach to immigration and the media.
HALAL CASE SETTLED: A Supreme Court defamation case brought by halal certifier Mohamed El-Mouelhy against the far-right Q Society has been settled out of court, with the organisation, its board members and politician Kirralie Smith making an apology.
CENTRELINK ‘OUTSIDE LAW’: People pursued by Centrelink over its controversial "robo-debts" are being denied the protection of Australian consumer law, a Parliamentary inquiry has been told.
BERNARDI WELCOME: Senator Cory Bernardi says Tony Abbott should defect and join his new conservative party after the former prime minister was castigated by members of his own party for publicly urging the government to adopt a more right-wing agenda.
Sports Buzz
MCMANUS LAWSUIT: Former State of Origin winger James McManus's legal action against Newcastle centres on claims that his former club breached its duty of care to him in a series of incidents from 2012 to his concussion-enforced retirement in 2015 – including one episode in which he alleges he was directed to continue playing until the end of a semi-final against the Bulldogs.
INDIA TEST: India's pitch doctors have been thrown another curve ball by the confident Australians, who say they are prepared for whatever surface is thrown at them for the second Test in Bangalore. | Kohli down but not out
SULI DEBUTS: Moses Suli, yet to play a NSW Cup game or finish an NYC fixture, is set to make one of the most remarkable NRL debuts for the Wests Tigers on Friday night.