Police are searching for Travis Langford, missing since January 17.

Antisocial road users blocked emergency services from reaching the injured man.

Millions of Australians are copping an early autumn heatwave as temperatures soar above 45-degrees.

Summer certainly isn't over for large parts of the country's north as Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory recorded extreme heatwave temperatures, with more heat forecast for this week.

Records were broken after Yulara, near Uluru, recorded its hottest-ever Saturday in autumn as residents sweltered through a top of 45.3 degrees.

READ MORE: Inside the 139 minutes that upended the US-Ukraine alliance

Oodnadatta in South Australia also had its hottest March day in 75 years after hitting a maximum temperature of 46.1 degrees.

There are heatwave warnings in place for the North Interior District, Kimberley, Pilbara, Gascoyne and South Interior Districts in WA.

The Bureau of Meteorology extended this warning until Tuesday.

A severe heatwave warning was also issued for the NT regions of Daly, Tiwi, Gregory, Barkley, Simpson, Lasseter and Tanami Districts until mid next week.

READ MORE: Homes shudder, sound of 'explosion' as earthquake rocks Aussie state

READ MORE: Police find man hiding in lake after alleged bus stabbing in Melbourne

The same goes for Queensland's Gulf Country, North West and Channel Country Districts.

Temperatures are forecast to raise above 40 degrees over the next three days in large parts of these states.

Residents in these areas have been warned to stay inside, keep air conditioning and fans on and to look out for vulnerable people including the elderly and babies.

Today's temperatures are also expected to reach as high as 34 degrees in some capital cities including Perth and Darwin.

Canberra is also in for an unusually hot March day with tops of 33 degrees, while Brisbane is set to reach a max of 30 degrees.

Sydney is a little cooler at 28 degrees and Melburnians will avoid most of the heat with tops of 21 degrees.

It will be a top of 27 degrees in Adelaide and just 19 in Hobart.

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White House chefs were at work in the West Wing on Friday (local time) laying out plates of rosemary chicken, celery root puree and collard greens when the sound of raised voices began floating over from the Oval Office.

Inside, a remarkable scene was unfolding. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance had begun berating their guest, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a hitherto unseen public implosion of a key global relationship.

For supporters of Ukraine, the moment was disastrous: Everything that could have gone wrong in a meeting between two headstrong leaders did, in the span of 10 minutes.

READ MORE: World leaders turn their back on Trump after Zelenskyy meeting

Yet for all the shock, it was not an unforeseen outcome. Indeed, in the lead up to the talks — which were intended to culminate in the signing of a new agreement on rare earth minerals — many allies of both men quietly wondered whether their already combustible dynamic would end in triumph or catastrophe.

Efforts were taken to prepare Zelenskyy for a successful meeting with Trump, who is famously susceptible to flattery and highly attuned to how he's being treated. The Ukrainian president was warned to focus squarely on the minerals deal — and to avoid getting drawn into a fight.

READ MORE: Zelenskyy told to leave after catastrophic shouting match with Trump

"I told him this morning, 'Don't take the bait. Don't let the media or anyone else get you into an argument with President Trump. What he's doing today is resetting the relationship,'" said Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was among a group of Republican and Democratic senators who met Zelenskyy before he came to the White House.

Other European leaders who'd come through the building this week offered Zelenskyy their own guidance, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who has found success in an approach to Trump that balances adulation with pushback.

Still others — including some US officials — tried to discourage Zelenskyy from making the trip to Washington at all, believing work was still needed to strengthen what had already become a hostile relationship.

Still, by the time Zelenskyy was pulling into the White House gates on Friday, few could have predicted quite how explosive the ensuing 139 minutes would become — though some detected early signs of trouble.

Stepping from his black SUV wearing what has become his standard uniform — drab military shirt and pants — Zelensky did not belie any tension with Trump, who had walked through the halls of the West Wing to greet him.

But some US officials watching from afar saw a problem: Zelenskyy's attire.

"Oh you're all dressed up," Trump said with an air of sarcasm as he greeted Zelenskyy and shook his hand.

Before the Oval Office meeting devolved into a shouting match, Zelenskyy was asked by a reporter from a right-wing outlet — handpicked by the White House to be in the room during the talks — why he was not wearing a suit in the United States' highest office.

"I will wear a costume after this war will finish, yes," Zelensky said, responding in English. "Maybe something like yours, yes, maybe something better. I don't know, we will see. Maybe something cheaper. Thank you."

Perhaps taking a lesson from the parade of foreign leaders who had preceded him in the White House over the past month, Zelenskyy did not arrive empty handed. He brought with him the UFC belt won by the Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk last year.

READ MORE: Trump, Vance castigate Zelenskyy in tense Oval Office meeting

The colorful gold belt, which sat propped on one of the end tables as the two men got to talking, went unmentioned during the talks, glinting under the lights.

For the first 40 minutes of their talks, Trump did not evince outward bitterness toward Zelenskyy, instead discussing the minerals deal they were planning to sign later in the day.

Indeed, upstairs in the East Room a long wooden table had been prepared for the signing ceremony, with four chairs ready for the signatories.

It was never to be.

The vice president speaks up

Joining the conversation after remaining mostly silent, Vance interjected — "Hold on. Hey, I want to respond to this" — to make the case for Trump's efforts at bringing the conflict to an end.

"The path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy," he said, directing his comments to Zelenskyy.

That is where everything went south.

A bristling Zelenskyy – himself unaccustomed to public rebukes after three years of stalwart Western support – indignantly laid out the ceasefires Russia had broken in the past.

"What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about? What – what do you have – what do you – what do you mean?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm talking about the kind of diplomacy that's going to end the destruction of your country," Vance responded from his place on the sofa next to Trump.

It only devolved from there.

"I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance said in a sharp reprimand. "You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict."

When Zelenskyy tried – somewhat unsuccessfully – to get a word in, Trump erupted in anger.

"You don't have the cards right now," he bellowed, talking right over Zelenskyy when he objected.

"You're gambling with the lives of millions of people," he shouted. "You're gambling with World War III."

A few minutes later, Trump dismissed the media from the room.

"This is going to be great television, I will say that," he called out as reporters filed out.

A rattled Ukrainian delegation — including the Ukrainian ambassador to Washington Oksana Markarova, who stopped taking notes during the meeting and simply placed her head in her hands — left the Oval Office to regroup in the Roosevelt Room, just down the hall.

Huddling with his own key advisers to assess the situation, including Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trump was enraged, saying he felt disrespected by Zelenskyy's tone.

"Zelensky played it as wrong as he could play it. He came into Oval acting like a tough guy. It didn't play well. Everyone in the room felt insulted," one US official said. "Now Zelenskyy will have to figure out how to fix this on his own. We can't fix it for him."

The president ultimately decided that Zelenskyy was "not in a place to negotiate," one White House official said. He directed Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz to deliver the message to the Ukrainians who were waiting nearby: It was time for Zelenskyy to leave.

"Time is not on your side here," Waltz told Fox News on Saturday, recounting his conversation with Zelenskyy. "Time is not on your side on the battlefield. Time is not on your side in terms of the world situation, and, most importantly, US aid and the taxpayers' tolerance is not unlimited."

The Ukrainians protested, saying they wanted to continue the talks, the White House official said. But the request was declined.

As the plates of salad, chicken and crème brûlée that had been planned for lunch sat uneaten on carts in a hallway outside the press secretary's office, the Ukrainians were instructed to leave.

The surreal day of broken diplomacy unfolded in the span of less than three hours.

Zelensky's motorcade left the White House gates at 1:42pm, with no fanfare or sendoff. He was driven a short distance away to the Hay Adams Hotel, where he and his advisers were staying.

Less than an hour later, he sent a message on social media expressing his gratitude to his hosts: "Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit." He added, "Ukraine needs just and lasting peace and we are working exactly for that."

Trump allies rally around the president

By then, a White House that had started the day looking to make a deal with Ukraine had suddenly changed course and sought to turn the diplomatic uproar into a moment of strength by launching an extraordinary public relations offensive.

"President Trump and VP Vance are standing up for Americans," the White House said in the first of several statements on Friday afternoon. A few hours later, another message was sent with words of support from members of the Trump cabinet.

"Amen, Mr President," Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said.

Graham, a close ally of Trump who had met with Zelenskyy earlier in the day, strode to the cameras outside the West Wings. He called on Zelenskyy to apologise or consider stepping aside.

"I have never been more proud of the president," Graham said.

Meanwhile, inside the East Room of the White House, the set up for a news conference for Trump and Zelenskyy was dismantled. A large table for the two leaders to sign the agreement, against a backdrop of three Ukrainian and three American flags, was moved away.

For the next few hours, Trump worked inside the West Wing with his staff. He was seen in the Oval Office with Susie Wiles, his chief of staff, and other advisers before he stepped out to leave the White House for the weekend.

Marine One was waiting, but Trump stopped to talk one more time, trying to put his stamp on the day's remarkable turn of events.

"He's looking to go on and fight, fight, fight," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn. "We're looking to end the death."

Asked if he wanted Zelenskyy to step down, Trump declined to answer directly, only saying: "I want somebody that's going to make peace."

A whirlwind day in Washington drew to a close as Trump boarded Air Force One and flew to his Mar-a-Lago resort for the weekend. Shortly after takeoff, Zelenskyy came on Fox News, for an interview that Trump watched on the presidential aircraft.

Zelenskyy said he did not believe he owed Trump an apology for the fiery outbursts in the Oval Office, but expressed his regret that it all unfolded on television for the world to see.

"I think it was not good," Zelenksyy told Fox News' Bret Baier. "I think it was not good."

But he said he believes his relationship with Trump and America will survive.

"Your people helped save our people," Zelenskyy said. "We are very, very thankful."

Tracking the path of billionaire Space X founder to the doorstep of the White House.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer embraced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday and told him he had the nation's unwavering support a day after the blowout at the White House with President Donald Trump.

Zelenskyy arrived to shouts of support from people who had gathered outside of 10 Downing Street, where Starmer gave him a hug and ushered him inside.

"And as you heard from the cheers on the street outside, you have full backing across the United Kingdom," Starmer told the leader of the war-torn country.

READ MORE: Search for Beaumont children uncovers new theory as Castalloy site dig is called off

"We stand with you, with Ukraine, for as long as it may take."

Zelenskyy thanked him and the people of the UK for their support and friendship.

The meeting comes the day after an extraordinary diplomatic meltdown when Trump and Vice President JD Vance blasted Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on live television for not being grateful enough for US support.

Zelenskyy had been poised to ink a deal to give the US access to mineral riches as Trump pressures Ukraine to reach a deal to end the war with Russia. But he left town without signing anything.

Zelenskyy had been scheduled to meet with Starmer on Sunday before a summit with other European leaders to discuss Ukraine and shoring up defenses across the continent.

But the timetable for their bilateral meeting was apparently sped up in the aftermath of the Washington visit.

Zelenskyy will meet with King Charles III on Sunday before the summit that is being held at Lancaster House, a 200-year-old mansion near Buckingham Palace.

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It's the cold case that has captivated Australians for over 60 years and for the past seven days, all eyes have been on the old Castalloy site in Adelaide.

About 10,000 tonnes of soil has been turned over in the search for the missing Beaumont children but nothing was uncovered, leading to the dig being called off.

The private search team, led by independent MP Frank Pangallo, conceded late yesterday afternoon that their theory the Beaumont children had some connection to the site is now shattered.

READ MORE: Driver on the run after alleged Mandurah hit-run

"There is a chapter that has been closed on Castalloy site, however it continues," Pangallo said.

"What it has generated is enormous interest in this incredible cold case, more information has now come forward that we now need to sift through."

The forensic team believe they found the spot where two men say they dug a deep hole for suspect Harry Phipps days after Jane, Arnna and Grant went missing in 1966.

But they now believe the soil was removed at least 10 years later.

"The area was filled with landfill that is dated between 1970's and 1990's," forensic archaeologist Maciej Henneberg, said.

The team are vowing to investigate where that soil was taken and follow up on a mountain of leads received since the search started.

"A lot of crimes are solved when the public comes forward with new information," Pangallo said.

"There has been some significant information that has been passed on to me from extremely credible people."

The large block of land that was the factory site will now be sold to developers and its hoped this dig will finally put an end to theory that the Beaumont children are buried there.

As this chapter closes, others are opening.

Another private search team has shown interest in a Stansbury site on Yorke Peninsula, which has been ruled out by detectives.

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Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred is inching closer to the Queensland coast, bringing intense winds and wild surf.

The system remains over the Coral Sea, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting strong to gale-force winds across the southern Great Barrier Reef Islands and extending to K'gari this weekend.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Jonathan How said yesterday there was "high confidence" the cyclone would remain well offshore over the next two days.

READ MORE: European leaders pledge to stand by Ukraine after heated clash

The cyclone is expected to move towards the coast today, before moving southeast tomorrow and Monday.

It's expected to be slow-moving by Tuesday before shifting back towards the southern Queensland coast by the middle of next week.

A severe weather warning remains in place for parts of the Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast Forecast Districts.

"Alfred is producing a large area of gale force winds on its southwestern flank, and there is a risk the system may approach close enough to the coast to produce a period of gales and damaging wind gusts about the coastal fringe overnight tonight and during Sunday," the Bureau said.

READ MORE: 'We stand with Ukraine': PM speaks after Oval Office clash

A separate coastal hazard warning is also current for the Wide Bay and Southeast Coast of Queensland.

Locations which may be affected include Bundaberg, Gladstone, Hervey Bay, K'gari, Miriam Vale and Rainbow Beach.

Coastal and island communities along the southern Queensland and northeast NSW coast have been urged to monitor conditions.

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Huge crowds have lined the streets of Sydney for the 47th annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade.

Tens of thousands of people have made their way from across Australia to watch more than 10,000 participants and 180 floats.

In keeping with tradition, the "Dykes on Bikes" led the parade amongst a sea of glitter and glamour.

READ MORE: Planning to see the Sydney Mardi Gras parade tonight? Here's what you need to know

The parade kicked off at 7pm from Hyde Park – with the route heading up Oxford Street, through Taylor Square to Flinders Street and ending at Anzac Parade, Moore Park.

The parade is expected to wind up about 11pm but for many, the night will just be getting started.

A raft of after parties will take place around the City of Sydney.

Before the show, participants finished off their make up looks while in the marshalling area in Hyde Park.

As the crowds grew there was a sea of speedos and lycra.

Spectators got in early to nab a winning seat to watch the floats pass by.

This year's theme is Free To Be to represent the strides towards LGBTQIA+ equality.

More to come.

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Queensland Health has launched an investigation after an apparent biopsy mix-up led to two women receiving the wrong cancer diagnoses.

Both women had undergone biopsies in November, after their mammograms at Rockhampton BreastScreen returned suspicious results.

One patient was incorrectly cleared of cancer, with her tumour going untreated for months, while the other reportedly underwent unnecessary surgery.

READ MORE: Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred inches closer to Queensland coast

"While we are limited in what we can say due to patient confidentiality, we acknowledge the distress this incident has caused," a spokesperson for Queensland Health told 9News.

"We have met with the patients to apologise and have offered support and care."

"Work began immediately upon discovery of the error and to identify what solutions could be put in place to prevent the risk of this happening again."

Government minister Tim Mander also acknowledged the distress caused by the error.

"The government's thoughts are with those women who were affected by this, and we're providing every bit of support that we can," he said.

"Obviously, that's something that we do not want to happen again, and so there's investigations taking place at the moment."

The department is encouraging women not to be deterred from using the BreastScreen program.

"We are committed to providing the best care possible to Queenslanders, who put their trust in us to look after them," said the spokesperson.

"On rare occasions the system doesn't get it right, but the community can be confident in the care we provide and in our commitment to addressing mistakes when they occur."

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