Tasmania’s news headlines
Launceston weather
Thursday will be partly cloudy, with a slight chance of rain in the morning. Northerly winds will reach up to 25km/h before shifting north-westerly across the morning. The winds are expected to ease into the evening.
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A maximum of 25 degrees is predicted.
The UV Index is predicted to reach 10, which is very high. Sun protection should be worn from 9.50am to 5.20pm.
Northern snapshot
Water bills set to rise: Gutwein: Peter Gutwein has come down hard on councils saying infrastructure upgrades could lead to rising bills.
Tassal joins legal action: Salmon producer Tassal has confirmed it will oppose orders taken against the EPA.
Fashions captivate crowd | Photos, Videos: Elegance, poise and an eye for colour coordination was what the judges were after at the 2017 Launceston Cup Fashions on the Field competition.
Wait over for Big Duke: Victoria's leading trainer wins Northern Tasmania's biggest race for first time
Regional
Insured losses for the NSW bushfires had reached $28.5 million from 1200 claims by Monday, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has said.
An upgrade of the ageing Carrington Park grandstand will come under serious consideration as Bathurst Regional Council looks to extend its contract to host National Rugby League matches at the venue.
National news
Failures in both the engine and 'feathering' system, that pilots are not trained to deal with, may be behind Tuesday's fatal plane crash, experts say.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "torpedoing" plans for recognising a Palestinian state, causing "enduring frustration" for diplomats attempting to bring peace to the region.
Scott Hargrave is a former Canberra concreter who transformed his life to become head brewer of Queensland's best beer.
Along the way, he's had help from AC/DC and some of Australia's best surfers.
National weather radar
International news
In keeping with his campaign's focus on more jobs and fewer undocumented migrants, President Donald Trump is creating more than 15,000 new immigration enforcement, border control and judicial posts to root out millions of what Americans call "illegal aliens".
Australia is pushing for Australian universities to be permitted to open campuses in Indonesia as part of a free trade deal that both countries hope will be finalised this year.
Maybe it will be called the Donald duck-around. It's a sort of diplomatic glad-game in which what is apparent to the entire world is not raised, and a phone call that stung goes unmentioned.
On this day | February 23
1455 – Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed with movable type.
1903 – Cuba leases Guantánamo Bay to the United States "in perpetuity".
1905 – Chicago attorney Paul Harris and three other businessmen meet for lunch to form the Rotary Club, the world's first service club.
1954 – The first mass inoculation of children against polio with the Salk vaccine begins in Pittsburgh.
2008 – A United States Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber crashes on Guam, marking the first operational loss of a B-2.
The faces of Australia: Halauafu Lavaka
Halauafu Lavaka will put his rugby league dream on hold to pursue another long-held desire.
The 22-year-old will follow in the footsteps of Will Hopoate and serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Read more.
