A dire shortage of infantry troops and supply routes coming under Russian drone attacks are conspiring against Ukrainian forces in Pokrovsk, where decisive battles in the nearly three-year war are playing out — and time is running short.

Ukrainian troops are losing ground around the crucial supply hub, which lies at the confluence of multiple highways leading to key cities in the eastern Donetsk region as well as an important railway station.

Moscow is set on capturing as much territory as possible as the Trump administration is pushing for negotiations to end the war and recently froze foreign aid to Ukraine, a move that has shocked Ukrainian officials already apprehensive about the intentions of the new US president, their most important ally. Military aid has not stopped, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

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Ukrainian soldiers in Pokrovsk said that Russian forces switched tactics in recent weeks, attacking their flanks instead of going head-on to form a pincer movement around the city. With Russians in control of dominant heights, Ukrainian supply routes are now within their range. Heavy fog in recent days prevented Ukrainian soldiers from effectively using surveillance drones, allowing Russians to consolidate and take more territory.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian commanders say they do not have enough reserves to sustain defence lines and that new infantry units are failing to execute operations. Many pin hopes on Mykhailo Drapatyi, a respected commander recently appointed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as ground forces chief, to shift the dynamic and counterattack.

"The war is won by logistics. If there is no logistics, there is no infantry, because there is no way to supply it," said the deputy commander of the Da Vinci Wolves battalion, known by the call sign Afer.

"(Russians) have learned this and are doing it quite well."

READ MORE: 'Stupid and white': Bodycam footage played as Sam Kerr's racial abuse trial begins

Poor weather at worst time

A combination of factors led Kyiv to effectively lose the settlement of Velyka Novosilka this past week, their most significant gain since seizing the city of Kurakhove in the Donetsk region last month.

Scattered groups of Ukrainian soldiers are still present in Velyka Novosilka's southern sector, Ukrainian commanders said, prompting criticism from some military experts who questioned why the higher command did not order a full withdrawal.

The road-junction village is 15km from the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region, where authorities have begun digging fortifications for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, anticipating further Russian advances.

Russia amassed a large number of infantry around Velyka Novosilka, soldiers there said. As heavy fog set in in recent days, Ukrainian drones "barely worked" to conduct surveillance, one commander near Pokrovsk told The Associated Press. Long-range and medium-range surveillance was impossible, he said. He spoke on condition of anonymity in order to speak freely about sensitive military matters.

"Because of this, the enemy was amassing forces … taking up positions, digging in. They were very good at it," he said.

It was at that fateful moment that Russian forces launched a massive attack: Up to 10 columns of armoured vehicles, each with up to 10 units, moved out from various directions.

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Ukrainian logistics in peril

Key logistics routes along asphalted roads and highways are under direct threat from Russian drones as a result of Moscow's recent gains, further straining Ukrainian troops.

Russian forces now occupy key dominant heights around the Pokrovsk region, which allows them to use drones up to 30km deep into Ukrainian front lines.

The Pokrovsk-Pavlohrad-Dnipro highway is "already under the control of Russian drones," said the commander at Pokrovsk's flanks. Russian forces are less than 4km away and are affecting Ukrainian traffic, he said. "Now the road is only 10 per cent of its former capacity," he said.

Another paved highway, the Myrnohrad-Kostyantynivka road, is also under Russian fire, he said.

This also means that in poor weather, military vehicles, including armoured personnel carriers, tanks and pickup trucks, have to trudge through the open fields to deliver fuel, food and ammunition, as well as evacuate the wounded.

In a first-aid station near Pokrovsk, a paramedic with the call sign Marik said evacuating wounded soldiers once took hours, now it takes days.

"Everything is visible (by enemy drones) and it is very difficult," he said.

New recruits are unprepared

Ukrainian soldiers in Pokrovsk said shortages of fighting troops are "catastrophic" and challenges are compounded by newly created infantry units that are poorly trained and inexperienced, putting more pressure on battle-hardened brigades having to step in to stabilize the front line.

Afer, the deputy commander, complained that new recruits are "constantly extending the front line because they leave their positions, they do not hold them, they do not control them, they do not monitor them. We do almost all the work for them."

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A night of celebration ended in Sam Kerr crawling out of the broken back window of a taxi, then being arrested for racially aggravated abuse of a London police officer, causing "harassment, alarm or distress," a UK court has been told.

Jurors watched footage of the Australian women's football captain telling officers she and partner Kristie Mewis feared they were being kidnapped after the driver refused to let them out of his cab following a row over compensation for vomit in the back of his vehicle.

Kerr was recorded twice calling police constable Stephen Lovell "f—— stupid and white," and insisting on going to court rather than pay for the window, leading to her being arrested.

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The incident, which took place in in the early hours of January 30, 2023, came after Kerr had been out with US international Mewis celebrating a hat-trick scored by Kerr in a Chelsea victory.

Both were described by police witnesses as "inebriated, emotional" and in a "distressed state".

Grace Forbes, counsel for the Matildas skipper, told Kingston Crown Court there was no intention to "cause harassment, alarm or distress to PC Lovell", and even if that charge was made, it was not racially aggravated.

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"Samantha Kerr did not feel hostile to this officer because he is white, the words, however poorly expressed, were a comment on positions of power, privilege, and how things might colour perception," she said.

The maximum penalty under UK law is 26 weeks in jail.

Kerr, who has pleaded not guilty, sat in the dock wearing all black as KC Bill Emlyn Hughes laid out the prosecution case which included a video lasting about 30 minutes made up of body-worn-camera recordings from one of PC Lovell's colleagues.

During it, Kerr and Mewis are seen arguing with PC Lovell and his colleagues, at times becoming abusive and also crying as they explain they thought the driver was kidnapping them and feared they would be raped, which is why they were trying to break the window to escape.

"I hate to break it to you, but when a male is driving a f—— car, for us, for two women, it's f—–, it's f—— scary," says Kerr.

On several occasions they reference the rape and murder of Sarah Everard, 33, who had been abducted in London by then-serving police officer Wayne Couzens in 2021.

"This taxi driver held me and her hostage for about 15 minutes," adds Kerr, now 31.

"I was like, 'Please, let us out and I will pay whatever you want'.

"We were begging to get out of there. We were trying to escape – we were trapped.

"You have to understand the emergency that both of us felt. What do you expect us to do as women in that situation?"

In the video PC Lovell says that while he understands their fears, they were hypothetical and "did not happen" while the damage to the taxi "did happen".

He offers them two options: pay the fare, the cleaning fee and for the window damage, which totalled just under $2000; or be arrested, charged with criminal damage, and state their case in court.

"I'll take option two," says Kerr, who a few moments earlier had said: "I'm not paying some dodgy c—- window. I will sit here until four in the morning and get the Chelsea lawyers on this. I am not backing down."

She then calls Lovell "f—— stupid and white".

Kerr is then placed under arrest for criminal damage and racially aggravated public order.

Kerr and Mewis subsequently paid for the damage and that element was dropped.

The West Australian's parents Roger and Roxanne and brother Levi have flown over from Perth and were in court.

Due to the media interest, they were surrounded by British and Australian reporters in the public gallery.

The trial, which is due to last four days, resumes on Tuesday with Kerr expected to give evidence.

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Denmark’s prime minister insisted on Monday that Greenland is not for sale and called for a robust response from her European Union partners should US President Donald Trump press ahead with his threat to take control of the island.

“I will never support the idea of fighting allies. But of course, if the US puts tough terms on Europe, we need a collective and robust response,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters in Brussels as EU leaders gathered for defence talks.

Greenland, home to a large US military base, is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a long time US ally.

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Last month, Trump left open the possibility that the American military might be used to secure Greenland, as well as the Panama Canal.

“We need Greenland for national security purposes,” he said.

Frederiksen said she has “great support” from her EU partners on the fact “that everybody has to respect the sovereignty of all national states in the world, and that Greenland is today a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It’s part of our territory and it’s not for sale.”

She acknowledged US concerns about security in the Arctic Region, where Russia and China have been increasingly active.

“I totally agree with the Americans that the High North, that the Arctic region is becoming more and more important when we are talking about defence and security and deterrence,” Frederiksen said, adding that the US and Denmark could have “stronger footprints” in Greenland, in security terms.

“They are already there and they can have more possibilities,” she said, underlining that Denmark itself can also “scale up” its security presence.

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“If this is about securing our part of the world, we can find a way forward,” Frederiksen said.

Last week, her government announced a roughly 14.6 billion kroner ($AUD3.25 billion) agreement with parties including the governments of Greenland and the Faeroe Islands to “improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region.”

It would include three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range surveillance drones and satellite capacity, the Defence Ministry in Copenhagen said.

Frederiksen's remarks came as EU leaders met for defence talks but with no clear sign yet from Trump about how he intends to try to end Russia’s war on Ukraine.

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The Europeans fear that any attempt to pull together a quick deal would not be favourable to Ukraine.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte were set to join the bloc’s 27 leaders at a self-styled “retreat” at Egmont Place in the Belgian capital.

The summit agenda focuses on EU-US cooperation, military spending and ramping up Europe’s defense industry.

The meeting comes as Europe’s biggest land conflict since World War II approaches its third anniversary, and with confidence in Trump shaky as he threatens his allies with tariffs.

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Trump already slapped duties on European steel and aluminium during his first term.

“We were listening carefully to those words, and of course we are preparing also on our side," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.

But, she underlined, "there are no winners in trade wars. If … the US starts a trade war, then the one laughing on the side is China. We are very interlinked.”

Staff of the US Agency for International Development were instructed to stay out of the agency’s Washington headquarters on Monday, according to a notice distributed to them, after billionaire Elon Musk announced President Donald Trump had agreed with him to shut the agency.

USAID staff said they also tracked more than 600 employees who reported being locked out of the agency’s computer systems overnight.

Those still in the system received emails saying that “at the direction of Agency leadership” the headquarters building “will be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, Feb 3.”

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The developments come after Musk, who's leading an extraordinary civilian review of the federal government with the Republican president's agreement, said early on Monday that he had spoken with Trump about the six-decade US aid and development agency and “he agreed we should shut it down.”

“It became apparent that its not an apple with a worm it in,” Musk said in a live session on X Spaces early on Monday.

“What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.”

“We’re shutting it down,” he said.

Musk, Trump and some Republican lawmakers have targeted the US aid and development agency, which oversees humanitarian, development and security programs in some 120 countries, in increasingly strident terms, accusing it of promoting liberal causes.

Over the weekend, the Trump administration placed two top security chiefs at USAID on leave after they refused to turn over classified material in restricted areas to Musk’s government-inspection teams, a current and a former US official told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, earlier carried out a similar operation at the Treasury Department, gaining access to sensitive information including the Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems.

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The Washington Post reported that a senior Treasury official had resigned over Musk’s team accessing sensitive information.

Democratic lawmakers have protested the moves, saying Trump lacks constitutional authority to shut down USAID without congressional approval and decrying Musk's accessing sensitive government-held information through his Trump-sanctioned inspections of federal government agencies and programs.

USAID, whose website vanished on Saturday without explanation, has been one of the federal agencies most targeted by the Trump administration in an escalating crackdown on the federal government and many of its programs.

READ MORE: Leaders vow action after more antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Perth

“It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics. And we’re getting them out,” Trump said to reporters about USAID on Sunday night.

Musk's and Trump's comments came with Secretary of State Marco Rubio out of the country, in Central America, on his first trip abroad in office.

Rubio has not spoken publicly about any plans to shut down USAID.

The Trump administration and Rubio have imposed an unprecedented freeze on foreign assistance that has shut down much of USAID’s aid programs worldwide — compelling thousands of layoffs by aid organisations — and ordered furloughs and leaves that have gutted the agency’s leadership and staff in Washington.

Peter Marocco, a returning political appointee from Trump’s first term, was a leader in enforcing the shutdown.

USAID staffers say they believe that agency outsiders with visitors' badges asking questions of employees inside the Washington headquarters are members of Musk’s DOGE team.

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said in a post on Sunday that Trump was allowing Musk to access people’s personal information and shut down government funding.

“We must do everything in our power to push back and protect people from harm,” the Massachusetts senator said, without giving details.

Premiers from states on opposite sides of the country have promised those behind antisemitic will be punished, after more graffiti was uncovered.

NSW Premier Chris Minns today vowed to "throw the book" at those behind a spate of incidents in Sydney as Western Australia Premier Roger Cook accused the culprits in his state of trying to "sow division and hatred in our community".

On a federal level, the government today imposed sanctions against an online neo-Nazi network amid reports of an independent push to beef up hate speech laws.

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Minns vowed to take action amid multiple incidents across Sydney's east over the past few months.

Last weekend, cars, homes and garages were defaced. Police are also hunting three young men who threw eggs at a group of women in a suspected targeted attack.

"If you've committed this offence, we are going to throw the book at you," Minns said.

A caravan filled with explosives was discovered in Sydney's north-west last week, and is being investigated by the counter-terrorism team.

This morning locals in Bondi responded in prayer with a steely determination to rally on.

"We can't be afraid. On our own land, in our own backyard, there's zero tolerance for it, and we won't be afraid," Dovi Meyer said.

READ MORE: Cars and property defaced with antisemitic graffiti, women egged in Sydney's east

"We can't be afraid. On our own land, in our own backyard, there's zero tolerance for it, and we won't be afraid," Dovi Meyer said.

The hate continues to spread in other parts of the nation with antisemitic graffiti reported in Byron Bay and Perth.

The residents of a home in Langford in the WA capital's south-east found a swastika painted by their driveway on Friday in what they believed was a random attack.

An antisemitic message scrawled on a bus stop in Dianella labelled Labor "Nazis".

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WA Premier Roger Cook accused the culprits of trying to "sow division and hatred in our community".

An investigation remains under way into neo-Nazi graffiti scrawled on walls and signs in Dalkieth at the weekend.

"We know that the police intelligence unit are on top of this – they have a number of leads that they are pursuing and they will stop at nothing until these thugs are apprehended," Cook said.

WA Liberal leader Libby Nettam said, "What we must all do is ensure that there is no place for antisemitism in any form across our society".

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From next month, displaying a Nazi symbol and performing a salute will attract a maximum fine of $24,000 and up to five years behind bars under new WA laws.

Meanwhile, Terrorgram, an online network for neo-Nazi advocates promoting white supremacy and racially motivated violence, was today banned by the federal government.

Anyone convicted could be jailed for up to 10 years for using or dealing with the platform.

Independent MP Allegra Spender will reportedly today put a proposal to parliament calling on both major parties to strengthen draft laws criminalising incitement to violence – but not serious vilification.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the crossbench proposal would impose criminal penalties on people who promote hatred over race, religion, gender and other factors.

EXCLUSIVE: A widow and grandmother has escaped her burning home in Brisbane's south with just seconds to spare.

Dianne Walsh said brave neighbours ran into the flames, pulling her and her son to safety.

"There was loud explosions, the tyres were going, and then it all happened. The neighbour on the bottom side came and got me and made sure that I was okay," she said.

READ MORE: Bridge collapses, homes submerged as deluge continues 

" … We've got some really good neighbours."

Walsh, who has lived at the home for 22 years said when the fire caught hold she grabbed what she could.

"USB sticks with the grandchildren's photos on it, I grabbed what I could of those in the dark," she said.

With her home destroyed and unliveable Dianne has been left devastated.

'My husband passed away there in 2008, I've raised children and grandchildren (there) … totally devastated, I haven't slept yet, I just can't," she said.

"I'm a diabetic too, all my medication is back at the house as well."

Her son's work vehicle was also destroyed.

Queensland Fire Department's Tom Simpson said the home was unliveable.

"There's significant water and smoke damage throughout the structure, so currently it's not liveable," he said.

Fire crews managed to stop the blaze from spreading to neighbouring homes.

"They were confronted with a weather event at the same time, pushing smoke and flames into the structure," he said.

It's understood fire investigators believe the blaze was the result of a mechanical fault in a truck parked in the driveway, which spread to a second vehicle and then the home.

Out-of-control fires across Victoria have claimed residential properties and a fire truck after heatwave conditions and dry lightning sparked more than 100 fires in Victoria yesterday.

Two homes in rural Nangiloc, near Mildura, were destroyed as intense heat and lightning culminated to ignite 114 fires across the state.

Three firefighters battling a blaze in the Little Desert National Park were forced to flee after their firefighting ute became engulfed in flames.

WARNINGS: Check the latest fire conditions at VicEmergency here

"Thankfully the firefighters – three of them – managed to escape the vehicle before it was totally engulfed," emergency management commissioner Rick Nugent said.

Fire authorities warned the high-risk fire season was "far from over".

Residents in Victoria's south-west were urged to evacuate their homes as multiple fires rage out of control amid heatwave conditions.

The fire danger remains high across most of the state, including the South West and Wimmera regions, where 600 firefighters are battling two emergency-level blazes.

The warning comes as stormy conditions temperatures are expected to soar into the 40s today for much of the state.

At least three fires are burning in the Grampians National Park, about 270 kilometres west of Melbourne.

VicEmergency issued a "leave immediately" message for people living in Mirranatwa, a small area on the eastern side of the national park.

"Leaving immediately is the safest option, before conditions become too dangerous. Emergency services may not be able to help you if you decide to stay," the warning said.

The bushfire was travelling from the national park in a southerly direction and has crossed Red Hills Road and is heading towards Jensens Road.

A watch and act message remained active for Cavendish, Mona Park, Mooralla, Rocklands and Woohlpooer.

Residents in the Victoria Valley were also urged to prepare to leave, as winds from the north increased the risk in the area.

"The situation can change at any time. You must monitor conditions and be ready to act," the warning said.

Smoke and ash from bushfires and burning operations also prompted an air quality warning for the region.

The warning remained current for Coleraine, Hamilton, Penshurst, Dunkeld and Glenthompson.

Over the weekend, more than 100 firefighters and incident management team personnel arrived in Victoria to assist with the ongoing fire response.

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Fire crews were also battling another out-of-control blaze, about 178 kilometres west of the Grampians National Park.

Residents in Peronne and Morea were also told it was too late to leave after a fire in the Little Desert National Park broke containment lines.

The bushfire was travelling from Little Desert in a westerly direction towards Kaniva-Edenhope Road.

Fire Forest Management Victoria chief officer Chris Hardman said the fire rapidly spread into agricultural land, but there had not been any reports of further property loss.

"It is too late to leave the area safely so you must take shelter now," the warning said.

"You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave."

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The fire has claimed at least one home, along with a popular wedding and camping venue.

The Henty Highway was closed between Horsham and Cavendish.

The Hamilton Emergency Relief Centre at Performing Arts Centre opens from 9am-7pm.

Lightning sparks new blazes 

Authorities were also fighting to contain four separate fires sparked by dry lightning in the Great Otways National Park overnight.

Some 50,000 lightning strikes, hit the state yesterday evening, causing damage to property and igniting fires in the state's south.

Hardman said the out-of-control blazes were located in "remote and difficult terrain" and travelling in a south-easterly direction from Hordern Vale and Cape Horn.

"No amount of rain will catch up on the shortfall of rain we've had since the beginning of spring," Hardman said.

The Otways fires remained at a watch and act level, with residents in Aire Valley, Apollo Bay, Cape Horn, Cape Otway, Glenaire, Hordern Vale, Killala, urged to monitor changes to conditions.

Dynamic weather conditions continue 

Extreme heatwave conditions are expected to continue for the bulk of the state tomorrow, with temperatures expected to soar into the high 30s to low 40s.

Authorities warned the fire danger will remain high tomorrow

A cool change was expected to develop from the south-west tomorrow morning and reach Melbourne by the afternoon, Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Michael Efron said.

Relief from the heat was not forecast to reach northern parts of Victoria until the early hours of Wednesday.

More showers and storms tomorrow could bring heavy rain, large hail and strong southerly winds to inland parts of the state, which could also elevate fire danger.

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Residents in Queensland's north remain on high alert with hundreds of millimetres of rain expected to be dumped in parts of the region in the coming hours.

More than 1200mm of rain has fallen over Ingham and Townsville in the past three days, cutting power and roads, inundating homes and forcing school closures, with floodwaters expected to continue to rise until tomorrow morning.

One person has died and more than 400 are currently taking shelter in six evacuation centres across the region.

READ MORE: What's causing power outages in Queensland's floods and when will the blackouts end?

Emergency services received 480 requests for assistance overnight and performed 11 swift water rescues.

With more rain still to fall, Townsville councillor Andrew Robinson has urged locals to have a plan.

"It's not too late to still plan, decide what you are going to do in the event that your house is inundated, where are you going to go?"

Critical infrastructure and supplies

Residents of Charters Towers have been urged to restrict water use to drinking and toileting with power and water supply to the town disrupted.

Many major supermarkets in the region are now either closed or isolated by floodwaters.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie has urged residents to remain calm as images of empty supermarket shelves begin circulating on social media.

He confirmed the region has at least six weeks' food supply in warehouses.

He said residents cut off by floodwaters who were in need of supplies should contact local disaster management for assistance.

The town of Ingham remains without power after a substation was inundated and the Ollera Creek Bridge, which forms a critical part of the Bruce Highway, has collapsed.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1729823134412237&set=a.751971762197384

Premier David Crisafulli today confirmed the Defence Force was preparing to assist with high-clearance vehicles and air support.

He said that support would continue as floodwaters recede and the clean-up begins.

Crisafulli was expected to visit the flood-stricken region this afternoon, after the Townsville Airport reopened this morning

More rain on the way

The low-pressure system across the southwestern Cape York Peninsula to the east coast near Lucinda is gradually weakening and the heavy rainfall risk is likely to become confined to more localised areas later today and into tomorrow.

The Bureau of Meteorology warns flash flooding remains likely between Tully and Giru, inland to the far western Herbert and Lower Burdekin district, including Townsville.

Six-hourly rainfall totals between 100mm to 140mm are likely, with isolated falls up to 180mm.

Some areas, including Cardwell Gap and Paluma, have received more than 600mm in the last 24 hours.

Major flood warnings are in place for the Haughton, Herbert, Ross, and Upper Burdekin rivers.

The Herbert River at Ingham Pump Station may reach 15 metres today, which is still below the 1967 flood level of 15.2 metres, but is expected to continue to rise before peaking tomorrow.

Major flooding is expected at Aplin Weir due to controlled releases on the Ross River Dam.

"This will contribute to flows downstream in the Ross River. Major flooding is expected on Monday morning, with further river level rises expected over the next few days," a social media post from Townsville Disaster Information warned today.

The river is currently at 1.7m, above the moderate flood level of 1.6m.

It is expected to exceed the major flood level of 1.8m this morning and is likely to reach about 2m by the afternoon.

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Tragedy struck yesterday when a woman died after an SES rescue boat capsized.

The woman was travelling with an SES crew on the boat when it struck a tree and flipped.

Her body was found a short time later.

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Radio host Kyle Sandilands has admitted he neglected his health for years before recently suffering a brain aneurysm.

The breakfast radio star will undergo urgent brain surgery and will be off the airwaves for up to two months following the health scare.

After revealing his diagnosis on the airwaves during The Kyle and Jackie O Show this morning, Sandilands told 9News he blames it on making the wrong choices.

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"I've had a hard life, I haven't really looked after myself that well," he said.

Fellow KIIS FM star Jackie "O" Henderson said she will support her co-host as he puts his health first.

"We'll just do it one step at a time and go from there," Henderson said.

"But his health is the most important thing."

Neurologist Professor Steve Vucic told 9News an aneurysm – while serious – is very treatable.

"This is how aneurysms manifest themselves, with a sudden onset thunder-clap like headache, patients are very sick," Vucic said.

"You'd rather know you have an aneurysm and you can monitor it, rather than presenting to the emergency with a stroke."

Sandilands shared the news earlier today, alongside breakfast co-host Henderson, after he missed Friday's show due to the illness.

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"On Friday, I was told by my medical team, which sounds like I'm already very sick, to have a medical team, that I have a brain aneurysm and it requires immediate attention, brain surgery," he said.

"If you just tuned in to us after all these years, lap it up. And if you're in Melbourne, you're in the part, you're coming to the party too late. You may get your wish. I may be dead."

The 53-year-old did not say when he would be undergoing surgery.

"It's not a blockage. It's like, imagine your blood vessel is the garden hose, and the garden hose is weak and it blisters out like a big bubble, you know, like a puncture in it, like a bike tyre with a big bubble that bubbles the aneurysm, so it's not blocked," he said.

"It's like, it's expanded and if it bursts, it's either a vegetable in the wheelchair, or dead."

Sandilands reflected on his diagnosis and said the aneurysm was a wake-up call.

"It's just overwhelming… I don't want to leave a wife and a little child behind," he said.

READ MORE: One person dead, thousands evacuated as flooding grips North Queensland

The Kyle & Jackie O Show, which debuted on Melbourne airwaves in April last year, airs weekdays from 6am to 10am on KIIS FM.

They made the expansion into the Melbourne radio scene after achieving two decades of success in Sydney.

Sandilands has also gained recognition as a judge on several popular television shows, including Australian Idol, Big Brother, and Australia's Got Talent.

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A 17-year-old girl has been attacked and killed by a shark at a popular beach on Bribie Island in Queensland.

Paramedics were called to Woorim Beach, about 70 kilometres north of Brisbane, at 4.45pm.

It is believed the girl was bitten on the arm 100m offshore.

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Despite the efforts of paramedics, she was unable to be saved.

The beach was filled with people at the time of the attack, who may have witnessed the attack.

Emergency crews are still on the scene.

More to come.