12PM NEWS UPDATE
The new Nationals leader and deputy Prime minister Barnaby Joyce has vowed to be a champion for regional Australia and build on the work of outgoing leader Warren Truss.
A pregnant woman has been diagnosed with the Zika virus in Victoria. She’d recently returned from a country where the virus is prevalent.
A 13-year-old girl has drowned, trying to save the life of her younger brother from dangerous surf in victoria’s South East.
The bodies of two friends missing since January 24 In Queensland are believed to be the ones found in a metal box in a dam at Logan yesterday. 6 people have already been charged with the murders, while police search for two more men thought to be involved.
And ahead of Valentines day, lonely hearts are being warned to watch out for online dating scams where you could be fleeced of money.