The fomer prime minister John Howard has weighed in the US gun debate. He's written an opinion piece for the New York Times about his crackdown on gun ownership in Australia in the wake of Port Arthur Massacre.  Mr Howard has also given an interview to the cable network CNN.

 

Fire authorities in Victoria have once again downgraded a large bushfire burning in the Grampians to a watch-and-act. Earlier, they re-issued a emergency warning for the 800-hectare blaze, which has been threatening the farming community of Mirranatwa. Authorities are worried about the strong, northerly winds due in that area later this morning.

 

New research shows the changing role of firefighters is taking a heavy toll on those who do the job. The report by the University of NewCastle has found firefighters are not just battling fires, but they are also dealing with other emergencies such as suicides and car accidents. It says that's causing high level of stress among firefighters.

 

And Victorian filmmaker Nicholas Clifford's this year's Tropfest winner.  His film “We've all been there” took out the top award at the world's  largest short film competition. The film's actress Laura Wheelwright was voted best female actor.