Floods cut off key roads in northern NSW

A LANDSLIDE and flooding has forced the closure of part of a major highway in northern NSW.

The Gwydir Highway, a vital east-west route in northern NSW, has closed between Grafton and Glen Innes.

Motorists are being told to use the New England Highway and Bruxner Highway instead.

They are also being advised to be extremely cautious in northern NSW due to the continuing wet weather.

A number of other flooded roads have closed including:

- The Oxley Highway in both directions at O'Neills Creek in Long Flat.

- Failford Road between the Pacific Highway and The Lakes Way.

- The Gwydir Highway between Moree and Warialda.

- The Bucketts Way is closed at Gloucester Road in Burrell Creek.

- The Pacific Highway is also affected by flooding at various locations.

It is expected that heavy rain across much of NSW could cause flash flooding across the coastline this weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology had 16 flood warnings in place on Saturday night.

A severe weather warning for heavy rain has been issued for people in the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast, Hunter and Northern Tablelands areas.

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Lockyer Valley on flooding alert

AN emergency alert has been issued for the Lockyer Valley region, west of Brisbane, with residents told to evacuate if needed.

The Lockyer Valley regional council issued the alert on Saturday night.

The council has advised that flooding is expected for Forest Hill, Laidley, Glenore Grove and areas downstream.

Residents are being told to monitor the situation and evacuate themselves if necessary.

An emergency flood warning has also been issued for residents in parts of central Queensland.

The Banana Shire Council, which includes Biloela and Moura, is advising of an imminent threat due to a Grevillea Creek flood.

There is an immediate threat to life or property" and the council is urging residents to leave the area or move to higher ground.

 

 Earlier, Brisbane was on track to have its wettest day since the Australia Day holiday weekend, with almost 70mm of rain soaking the city since 9am and more heavy falls expected.

Some suburbs have copped even bigger dumps with Corinda Heights recording 86mm in six hours.

Despite the rainfall stretching from just south of Bundaberg to the Gold Coast, and Kingaroy in the west, Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Praveep Singh said Brisbane had borne the brunt of the low pressure system.

More wet weather news: Dancers rescued from flooded Gabba street

"We've probably had in excess of 100mm since last night," said Mr Singh.

Heavy rain in Vulture Street, South Brisbane this afternoon. Pic: Kimberley Vlasic

"There could be more heavy falls tonight, in the vicinity of 50 to 60mm. That should start to ease around midday tomorrow."

Mr Singh said a low pressure system and a "good feed of moist east to northeasterly winds" was responsible for the latest deluge.

It follows on from a wet February and late January with more than 520mm recorded in the city.

So far the wettest day this year has been January 28, when 145mm fell on Brisbane.

Dozens of roads have been covered in water throughout Brisbane, and there are reports of surface damage on the Western Freeway at Indooroopilly.

Motorists are urged to drive with extreme care and avoid crossing flooded roadways.

Meanwhile, another Queensland town is preparing for a flood as rain continues to drench the state.

The local council is doorknocking homes at Dalby, in southern Queensland, where the Myall Creek is expected to peak at three metres on Saturday night.

Western Downs Mayor Ray Brown says water starts to enter homes when the water reaches 2.8 metres.

It's another blow to residents who experienced significant flooding on the Australia Day weekend and a severe flood two years ago.

The council is also monitoring the nearby towns of Chinchilla and Moonie which are on flood alert.

Heavy rain has also fallen in the regions around Mackay, Bundaberg and Rockhampton on the state's central coast and Brisbane and the Gold Coast in the southeast.

Forecasters expect about 100mm of rain to fall on Bundaberg in the next 24 hours.

Mayor Mal Foreman said people are anxious, as the town has been flooded three times in the past two years.

"People are saying, 'when is the rain going to stop?"' he told ABC Radio.

Meanwhile the government is keeping a close eye on its dams in the southeast.

The Bureau of Meteorology has advised the rain will continue in the short term and there will be heavy falls later this month.

Water Supply Minister Mark McArdle says releasing water from the dams will reduce the risk of flooding.

"The ground is currently saturated so the rain will all run off into the Somerset and Wivenhoe Dams," he told AAP.

"We want to make certain those dams are at a precautionary level of 88 per cent as best as we possibly can."

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One dead, four injured in crash

ONE man is dead and four others are injured after two cars collided on the Brisbane Valley Highway, west of Brisbane tonight.

Police are investigating the cause of the crash involving two hatchbacks at Fernvale shortly after 6pm.

The male driver of one car was killed.

His female passenger was rushed to the Princess Alexandra Hospital. Her injuries are unknown.

Four others travelling in the second vehicle were taken to the Ipswich Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

In Toowoomba , two men are in hospital with serious injuries after a bus and car collided.

Police are investigating the cause of the crash between the bus and sedan on Kingsford Smith Drive about 1.45pm.

The 25-year-old driver of the sedan and his 38-year-old passenger were taken to Toowoomba Base Hospital with serious injuries.

The female driver of the bus suffered minor injuries. There were no passengers on board at the time.

If you have any information that may assist police, please call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Brothers 'can't accept pedophile's guilt'

Archbishop Denis Hart ignored reports that a pedophile might have been working at a college. Source: AAP

MANY Christian brothers refuse to accept that one of their ranks is guilty of the child sex crimes for which he was convicted, a Victorian inquiry has been told.

Members of the order also lack sympathy for sex abuse victims, Christian brother and researcher Dr Barry Coldrey told the parliamentary inquiry into sexual abuse within religious organisations.

Dr Coldrey said some brothers had not accepted that Robert Best, who was convicted over the abuse of 11 boys over a 20-year period, was a pedophile.

"Even at this moment there are many brothers who refuse to believe that Robert Best is guilty," he told the inquiry in Melbourne on Friday.

He said some would still visit Best in prison.

Best was in 2011 found guilty of 21 charges, including the rape of a nine-year-old disabled boy, and later pleaded guilty to a further six.

All 27 charges related to 11 boys he taught at St Alipius primary school in Ballarat, St Leo's College in Box Hill, and St Joseph's College in Geelong between 1969 and 1988.

Dr Coldrey told the inquiry that the order had little sympathy for victims of sexual abuse.

"At the moment, the mood is sullen, angry and certainly little sympathy is expressed for victims," he said.

"No one ever won an election in the Christian Brothers by expressing sympathy for victims."

Dr Coldrey said his concerns that a convicted pedophile was working at Monash University's Mannix College were ignored by senior clergy members, including Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart.

Residences at the college were rented out to non-university students for four months of the year.

"Everybody who had a say took the cover-up option," Dr Coldrey said.

"Denis (Hart) took the cover-up option."

Dr Coldrey said he was not sure if the man was still working at the college under an assumed name.

The inquiry resumes in Melbourne on Monday.

Br Brian Brandon, the executive officer for professional standards for Christian Brothers Oceania, rejected that there was little sympathy within the Christian Brothers ranks for sex abuse victims.

In a statement, Br Brandon said he met regularly with victims and Mr Coldrey was out of touch with reality and his statements were unsubstantiated.

Br Brandon said the Christian Brothers expressed care and concern for victims.

He also offered an apology on behalf of the Christian Brothers to Archbishop Denis Hart for comments made about him by Mr Coldrey, who testified that senior clergy members including Archbishop Hart, ignored concerns that a convicted pedophile was working at Monash University's Mannix College.

Archbishop Denis Hart said the allegation raised by Br Coldrey was false.

"I emphatically reject his allegation that I have been involved in a cover up of a suspected paedophile at Mannix College, Monash University or that there was any cover up," he said in a statement.

"These untrue claims unfairly malign all the hard working staff at Mannix College."

Archbishop Hart said Br Coldrey was a part-time volunteer at Mannix College for a number of years until the end of 2010.

He said while he was volunteering at Mannix College, Br Coldrey alleged there may have been a paedophile working at the college but the allegation was shown to have no substance.

He said all Mannix College staff hold a current Working With Children Check.

Archbishop Hart said he looked forward to his opportunity to appear before the inquiry.

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Berlusconi claims innocence in trial

FORMER Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi proclaimed his innocence at an appeal trial in Milan against a tax fraud conviction linked to his business empire.

"I am completely extraneous to the facts that I am accused of," the billionaire tycoon told the court.

The 76-year-old Berlusconi was convicted in October 2012 and sentenced to four years in prison and a five-year ban from holding public office.

The prison sentence was later reduced to one year and both sentences have been suspended pending his appeal trial, which was interrupted by elections in which Berlusconi led a centre-right coalition.

"Instead of getting a gold medal from the state for giving jobs to 56,000 people, I was sentenced to four years in prison," he told the court.

A verdict in the case is expected on March 23.

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Woman missing from NSW Riverina

POLICE are appealing for information to help find a woman missing in the NSW Riverina.

Colleen Judith Cooke, 59, has suffered from depression after a recent bereavement and there are concerns for her welfare, police said.

She was last seen on Wednesday morning in Galong and her family have told police it is out of character for Mrs Cooke not to be in contact.

She's described as being of caucasian appearance, 164cm tall with short, red/brown hair, a medium build and brown eyes.

Mrs Cooke is believed to be driving a white Toyota Avalon with registration plates AB24YZ.

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Kerry promises $59m in aid to Syria oppn

US Secretary of State John Kerry says the Obama administration will provide the Syrian opposition with an additional $US60 million ($A59 million) in assistance and will for the first time provide non-lethal aid like food and medical supplies to rebels fighting to oust President Bashar Assad.

Kerry announced the new support and the policy shift on Thursday in Rome, on the sidelines of an international conference on Syria.

European nations are also expected to signal their intention to provide fresh assistance to the opposition.

Kerry says the US decision is designed to increase the pressure on Assad to step down and pave the way for a democratic transition.

He says the aid is also intended to help the opposition govern newly liberated areas of Syria and blunt the influence of extremists.

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Myer winter collection blows into stores

WITH a gust of snowy white wool and light showers of sequins, winter arrived in Melbourne.

Myer's autumn/winter collections launch declared the sunny neon colours that dominated catwalks in spring and summer banished in favour of black, white and metallic tones.

The ready-to-wear retail show favoured sharp lines and crisp tailoring.

Almost every designer who sent models down the catwalk had leather incorporated into their winter look.

Maticevski led the charge with structured leather bodices, embellished black leather peplums and panels of sequins.

When it came to the leather creations, the palette was predominantly black, but cream, white and browns appeared too.

Feminine-shaped peplums were prominent, but they didn't dominate as they have the past two seasons.

Staples for winter fashionistas will be lace and lashings of leather.

Designer Arthur Galan said the 2013 look would be characterised by blended textures.

"There will be lots of leather mixed with woolens, leather mixed with knits, it's definitely all about black and leather," he said.

"Black and white is absolutely the key for this season."

Many of the guests, designers and models wore items to be featured on the catwalk and strutted a black carpet gauntlet before the show.

Myer ambassador Jennifer Hawkins arrived wrapped in a black and gold cylindrical Manning Cartell dress.

She predicted that as summer shifted into autumn, the colours would cool with the climate.

"It's calming down a little bit," Hawkins said.

"There's lots of embellishment around, lots of lace, I love lace; leather, lace and peplums."

The gold strip motif of her dress was repeated later in Manning Cartell's collection.

It appeared in a short shift dress, pants and a voluminous top.

Manning Cartell's catwalk offering was brief but chic.

Cherry was blended with gold and black leather for a rich, warm look.

Designer Leona Edmiston followed Hawkins down the black carpet declaring jewel colours would rule winter wardrobes.

"We're showing printed silks tonight, all different prints, lots of different shapes in intense jewel tones: deep sapphires and lovely rubies," she said.

"The peplum's still in because it is very flattering, but not from us tonight."

Edmiston's winter collection silhouette was slinkier than other designers on show, being made-up of wrap dresses, shirt dresses and caftans.

Another Myer ambassador, Rebecca Judd, said winter was more about berries, greens and lots of gold.

Dressed in a black, sheer Sass and Bide frock, she echoed leading designers Arthur Galan and Wayne Cooper in saying black leather leggings were the key piece for winter.

Designer Yeojin Bae said there would be pops of colour in her collection, but, at the moment, she was in love with cream.

"Good tailoring, lots of cream and lace and a beautiful floral print," was how she described her collection.

The majority of the style set nominated black leather leggings as the number one item for winter but their own wardrobe choices suggested capelets, and swing-coats would be popular.

Despite not appearing on the catwalk, Sass and Bide's "This is Pop" capelet - half cape and half coat - was the most popular item of the night.

It was worn by five people attending the show, including Sass and Bide designer Sarah-Jane Clarke.

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EU reaches deal to cap banker bonuses

THE European Union will cap bankers' bonuses, which critics say played a major role in driving the global financial crisis, as part of new tougher rules on the banking sector.

The accord was struck early Thursday after the European Parliament and the EU's current Irish presidency agreed how to implement Basel III, an internationally-agreed set of regulations which tighten capital requirements in the hope of preventing any repeat of the 2008 banking collapse.

"For the first time in the history of EU financial market regulation, we will cap bankers' bonuses," said MEP Othmar Karas, the negotiator for the parliament.

Parliament had wanted to limit any bonus to not more than a banker's fixed annual salary but agreed it could be twice the size, on the condition that shareholders formally approved such a payment.

Karas told a press conference later that if a wider EU political agreement could now be reached, Basel III could come into force in the EU in January 2014, one year past the original deadline.

Basel III was supposed to have been implemented from January this year but the timetable slipped steadily as the banks and some EU member states, notably Britain, baulked at the new rules, saying they would undercut management incentives and make the banks reluctant to lend.

Basel III notably requires the banks to build up their capital buffers and reserves but in doing so, they argue, they have less money left to lend to businesses now struggling in a deep economic slump.

In November, the United States said it too would not make the January 2013 target date.

Karas played down the importance of the bonus issue but in the event it has attracted most of the headlines and is particularly sensitive for Britain, home to one of the world's biggest financial markets in London.

The key issue is "that from 2014, European banks will have to set aside more money to be more stable and concentrate on their core business, namely financing the real economy, that of small- and medium-sized enterprises and jobs," Karas insisted.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday he would "look carefully" at the deal, staunchly defending London's role and insisting his own plans for bank reform were in some respects tougher than those in the EU.

"We have major international banks that are based in the UK but have branches and activities all over the world. We need to make sure regulation put in place in Brussels is flexible enough to allow those banks to be competing and succeeding while being located in the UK," he warned.

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Hunt on for undie-wearing armed robber

AN image has been released of a man who robbed a Melbourne service station with a knife in his hand and a pair of undies on his head.

The man entered the Deer Park store on February 15 about 12.30am (AEDT), demanding cash from the attendant.

The attendant handed over some money before the offender threatened a customer and stole his wallet.

No one was injured.

The offender left the store, on the corner of Ballarat Road and Robinsons Road, and was last reported seen heading north on Robinsons Road.

The man, who is of African appearance, was wearing a light blue jumper, black pants with stripes and camel coloured shoes with black laces.

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers.

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NSW ice seizure breaks records

A MULTI-AGENCY operation has led to the largest seizure of methamphetamine on record in Australia, with an estimated street value of up to $438 million.

The operation involving federal and NSW police netted 585 kilograms of the illegal drug ice.

The Joint Organised Crime Group was keeping a lid on details on Wednesday, but it did confirm the methamphetamine seizure was the largest on record and had a street value of about $438 million.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Tony Negus will join NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione and officials from the NSW Crime Commission, the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and the Australian Crime Commission to show off the haul to media in Sydney on Thursday morning.

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Seven hurt in Sydney balcony collapse

SEVEN people have been injured when they fell up to five metres in a balcony collapse at a home on Sydney's north shore.

Police and paramedics were called to a duplex on the Pacific Highway at Lane Cove, about 10.15pm (AEDT) on Wednesday.

It's believed 10 people were on the balcony when it collapsed.

Seven people were hurt but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

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$A2.9m cocaine haul at Prague airport

CUSTOMS officers at Prague international airport have seized a record 31kg of cocaine hidden in the luggage of three Dutch passengers.

The haul, worth 60 million Czech kroner ($A2.94 million), "was without doubt the largest" ever at the airport, customs spokesman Jiri Bartak said on Tuesday.

Officers found 25 packets containing the drug stuffed in the cases of the two men, aged 73 and 21 years old, and of a 49-year-old woman. It was based on a first chemical analysis of the contents.

The trio had boarded the plane for Prague in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

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Alleged uni sex attacker is asylum seeker

A SRI Lankan asylum seeker has been charged with indecently assaulting a 20-year-old student at Macquarie University in the Sydney's north.

The 21-year-old was arrested on Tuesday over the alleged sexual assault at the university on February 21.

The victim told police she was asleep in a student accommodation building at the uni when a man broke into her room and indecently assaulted her about 3.20am.

The woman woke up during that attack and the man fled her room.

The accused 21-year-old man was arrested near Sydney's Central station on Tuesday morning.

After hours of questioning he was charged with indecent assault and two counts of aggravated break and enter.

An immigration department spokeswoman said on Tuesday the man was an asylum seeker on a bridging visa but was not living in student accommodation at Macquarie University at the time of the attack.

The university has previously said it had no evidence to link the attack to its ongoing accommodation of asylum seekers and that it was a police matter.

It said Campus Living, part of Transfield Group, provides services for asylum seekers, including temporary accommodation, under a 2012 agreement with the Red Cross's Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme (ASAS).

On Campus Living's website it describes the accommodation as Macquarie University Village and says it is partnered with universities across Australia.

The man was refused bail to appear in Central Local Court on Wednesday.

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Ex-pope will have 'pontiff emeritus' title

Britain's top cardinal has resigned after allegations he was involved in 'inappropriate acts' with priests.

Pope Benedict XVI has allowed cardinals to bring forward a conclave to elect his successor. Source: AAP

POPE Benedict XVI will have the official title of "pontiff emeritus" after he resigns on Thursday - the first leader of the Catholic Church to do so since the Middle Ages, the Vatican says.

Benedict can still be addressed as "Your Holiness Benedict XVI" and will have the title of "Roman Pontiff Emeritus", spokesman Federico Lombardi told the Vatican press corps on Tuesday.

Benedict can also still wear a white cassock normally reserved only for pontiffs and will continue using the shoes given to him by artisans in Mexico during a trip last year, Lombardi said.

The Vatican spokesman also said that a series of meetings of cardinals to settle on a date for the start of a conclave to elect Benedict's successor could start on Monday, March 4.

Lombardi said the pope had already sorted the official documents from his papacy that will remain in the Vatican and personal notes that he will take with him into retirement.

Benedict holds a final general audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday before he officially steps down at 1900 GMT on Thursday (0600 AEST Friday).

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DSK tries to ban graphic new book

DISGRACED IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is taking legal steps to stop a controversial new book by Argentinian-born Marcela Iacub detailing their liaison, his lawyers say.

In Beauty and the Beast, due to be released on Wednesday, Iacub says she had a relationship with Strauss-Kahn from January to August 2012, in the midst of the scandal over accusations he sexually assaulted a New York hotel maid the previous year.

She doesn't name Strauss-Kahn in the book, but she told Le Nouvel Observateur magazine that it was about him, while admitting that she had mixed fiction with reality.

Strauss-Kahn's lawyers said they will on Tuesday seek the seizure of the books after suing Iacub and her publisher Stock for an attack on his private life.

If that is not allowed, they will seek for every copy of the book to carry an insert, lawyers Richard Malka and Jean Veil said, without giving details on what they want it to say.

Strauss-Kahn, who has called the book an "abomination", is seeking 100,000 euros ($132,300) in damages and compensation from Iacub and Stock, and a similar amount from Le Nouvel Observateur.

Lawyers for Stock and Le Nouvel Observateur declined to comment on the suit, which will go before a Paris judge on Tuesday.

The book touches on the incident in New York and the cases in France against Strauss-Kahn, as well as his relationship with Anne Sinclair, his fabulously rich wife of 20 years who announced last July that she had split from her husband.

Iacub's new work is the latest in a long line of books, plays, TV shows and movies on the spectacular fall from grace of a man who was once tipped to become France's next president.

The Socialist politician in December agreed a financial settlement with the hotel maid whose 2011 allegation of sexual assault forced him to resign from the International Monetary Fund.

But the silver-haired 63-year-old is still being investigated in France over allegations he procured prostitutes for sex parties in Europe and in Washington.

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Evacuations as one dead, one missing

A MAN has died after his car was swept from the road by floodwaters near Kilcoy. SWIFT water rescue teams search for woman reported missing on Sunshine Coast. TORRENTIAL rain is drenching southeast Queensland, with up to 200mm expected to fall in the next 24 hours.

10.30pm: POLICE are still searching for a woman missing near Pomona.

The woman has not made contact since around 5pm when she dialled triple zero once she became lost.

Police believe she is missing in bushland near Ringtail Creek Road and Stratford Park Drive where she abandoned her car after failing to make it through floodwaters.

10.15pm: POLICE have confirmed the death of a 77-year-old man at Sandy Creek near Kilcoy this afternoon.

The man was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was pronounced dead on scene.

A bus load of students was rescued from flooded roads at Acacia Ridge. Pic: Ch 7

9.30pm: AN emergency alert has been put out for low lying areas in the Lockyer Valley town of Laidley.

Lockyer Regional Council is advising flooding is expected in the Laidley Creek area tonight and tomorrow with the creek expected to peak between midnight and early morning.

Residents are being urged to self evacuate or move to the Laidley Creek State High School as soon as possible, and people who were impacted by flooding during the last weather event several weeks ago have been urged to evacuate immeditaly.

Police are also door-knocking low lying areas.

Those who have friends and family on higher ground are asked to stay with them.

9.20pm: GYMPIE will be inundated tonight as a result of heavy rainfall in the area.

South-East Queensland is again bracing for flash flooding as another weather system batters the state's coast.

Local and District Disaster Management Groups have been activated and police are advising residents to stay off roads and indoors.

Kidd Bridge in Gympie will be cut by flood waters around midnight tonight, and the Normanby Bridge around 9am tomorrow.

The Bruce Highway will likely be closed at the Kybong/Traveston area south of Gympie overnight.

9pm: AN emergency alert has been put out for the Lockyer Valley, with the Lockyer Regional Council advising flooding is expected in the Laidley Creek area tonight or early Tuesday morning.

Residents are being urged to self evacuate or move to the Laidley Creek State High School as soon as possible.

Further information is available by calling 1300 005 872.

Flooding in Hutcheson St in Albion. Picture: Adam Armstrong

8.50pm: DANGEROUS weather is hampering search efforts for a woman lost near Pomona.

Emergency services have been unable to launch an aerial search for the woman as the helicopter can not operate in the extreme conditions.

The search continues for the woman missing in bushlands off Ringtail Creek Road and Stratford Park Drive.

8.30pm: A WOMAN has been rescued from her car by Swift Water Rescue teams in the Logan suburb of Marsden.

Crews were called about 7.42pm when the woman became stuck while trying to cross floodwaters on Second Avenue.

Flooding in Hutcheson St in Albion. Picture: Adam Armstrong

She has been successfully rescued from her car.

8.10pm: SWIFT Water Rescue teams are on scene near Pomona on the Sunshine Coast where it is feared a woman has become lost in flood waters.

Emergency service crews attended the intersection of Ringtail Creek Road and Stratford Park Drive after a woman became lost in a flooded area and called Triple Zero.

It is believed the woman hit flood waters in her car but could not get through, and then abandoned her car and entered bushland.

Police and the Swift water Rescue team are currently searching the area for her.

More to come...

THE state's southeast has been warned the next few days will bring rainfall levels similar to the dumping that caused major damage during ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald a month ago. Burnett Heads lifesaver Erin Gibson, 17, yesterday patrolled a sparsely populated beach where a yacht has been stranded for a month.

CORRECTION: Initial information was that a man was missing by a woman who called Triple Zero to report a man was missing.

UPDATE 7.30pm: A MAN has died after his car was swept from the road by floodwaters near Kilcoy.

The 50-year-old was travelling on Mary Smokes Creek Road, where it intersects with Sandy Creek Road - between Kilcoy and Woodford - when he became trapped by raging floodwater.

Other motorists tried to pull the man from his car and performed CPR before ambulance officers arrived.

Despite several attempts to resuscitate the man, he was pronounced dead at the scene at about 4.20pm.
 

6.20pm: A MAN has died after being swept from his car by floodwaters near Kilcoy.

Six waterspouts formed off the Queensland coast on Sunday amid wild weather warnings. One twisted across the beach and caused damage to the Bundaberg Surf Lifesaving Club building. SEE VIDEO AND MORE PICTURES

The man was travelling on Mary Smokes Creek Road when he became trapped by the water.

Emergency services attended, but the man but he died at the scene.

At 5.50pm, Brisbane residents were again warned of the possibility of flash flooding for the rest of today and Tuesday.

A text alert from the Brisbane City Council warned "All of Brisbane at risk".

The weather bureau says widespread falls of 100mm in the southeast are likely with even higher totals forecast in some areas through Tuesday.

In Bundaberg, which is still recovering from devastating floods in the wake of cyclone Oswald, falls of up to 200mm are possible on Tuesday with the rain likely to last until Wednesday.

Flooding in Hutcheson St in Albion. Picture: Adam Armstrong

Flash flooding alerts have been issued for a number of areas including Gladstone, Gympie, Kingaroy, Hervey Bay and Fraser Island. Flooding is also possible on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts as well as Brisbane and Ipswich.

The town of Gympie is expecting a minor flood peak of six metres on Monday night.

Big swells have closed beaches, carving out three metre sand cliffs on Surfers Paradise Beach. Stairs and walkways have also been ripped out of the dunes.

A newborn baby was flown to Gold Coast Hospital after his mother gave birth as flood waters rose rapidly in northern NSW.

The 37-year-old woman gave birth to the boy about 4.40am (AEST) on Monday before emergency crews could reach her property at Palmvale, near the NSW-Queensland border.

SES and swiftwater rescue crews eventually reached her by boat but a rescue chopper from Queensland was called amid fears floodwaters would keep rising.

"They are both doing well and travelled in a stable condition," CareFlight paramedic Clint Peters said in a statement.

The baby boy was named Sabre.

At 3.21pm, it was reported that a total of 22 southeast Queensland dams are spilling, roads are cut and big seas and strong winds are battering the coast.

Premier Campbell Newman has also announced that a recovery plan has been put in place to ensure repairs from ex-Cyclone Oswald are made quickly.

"The 2013 Flood Recovery Plan will outline the role of disaster recovery coordinators, ensuring that people who have been devastated by flooding will see real changes in their communities as quickly as possible," Mr Newman said.

"The plan forms five major recovery groups to lead the social, economic and environmental aspects of the recovery, as well as plotting the course for building and roads projects."

Steady rain in Brisbane caused traffic chaos and pockets of minor flooding at Stable Swamp Creek at Marshall Rd, Burpengary Creek at Rowley Rd, Coochin Creek at Old Gympie Rd, South Maroochy River at Yandina and Elliot River at Dr Mays Crossing in Wide Bay.

Wivenhoe Dam releases doubled ahead of expected deluge. Picture: Channel Ten News

Brisbane has had 133.2mm of rain so far this February. It's average February rainfall is 158.3mm

At 11.40am it was reported that swift-water rescue crews winched 16 school children to safety after their bus became trapped by floodwaters in Acacia Ridge this morning.

Two crews ferried the Brisbane Christian College children, who ranged from pre-school to Year 10, to safety with inflatable boats about 9.30am.

Emergency services said the children were stranded on Paradise Road for 90 minutes.

"It wasn't a dangerous situation, no one was hurt," said a Queensland Fire Service spokesman.

"One of the kids was happy they missed science."

Flooding in Hutcheson St in Albion. Picture: Adam Armstrong

The bus and five other cars that were also stranded have been towed away.

Emergency services are continuing to warn drivers to avoid flooded roads.

At 11.34am, it was reported that one of the two systems bringing rain over southeast Queensland will start to move east and begin to weaken from tonight, with heavy rain contracting north in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Substantial rain will continue on the Sunshine Coast, stretching north to Bundaberg and St Lawrence in central Queensland.

Heavy falls of up to 200mm over 24 hours are predicted between St Lawrence and Bundaberg today, becoming more widespread tonight and tomorrow.

Weather Bureau forecasters warn localised totals in excess of 200mm are possible, particularly near the coast.

Got a great pic of the weather at your place? Send it to us via MMS to 0428 258 117 or email it to cmonline@qnp.newsltd.com.au

The heaviest rain is currently over the Sunshine Coast and Lockyer Valley southwest of Brisbane, with 24 hour totals of 80mm to 100mm.

Emu Park near Rockhampton also is getting a drenching.

Steady rain in Brisbane this morning caused traffic chaos and isolated pockets of minor flooding, including Albion.

The Burnett Highway near Mt Morgan is closed due to 35 land slips, as is Mt Sylvia Rd near Laidley, southwest of Brisbane.

An upper low across central Queensland is expected to move slowly east today and begin weakening from tonight.

A second surface trough lies off the Capricorn coast and is expected to move west in the next 24 hours.

Locations which may be affected include Emu Park, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Gympie, Bundaberg, Kingaroy, Hervey Bay, Fraser Island, the Sunshine Coast and adjacent hinterland areas, Brisbane, Ipswich, the Lockyer Valley, Esk and the Cunningham Range.

 The Bureau of Meteorology predicts the heaviest downpours will be on the southeast Queensland coast and adjacent hinterland.

BOM forecaster Ken Kato said there was "no clear end to this rain event in sight".

"The wet weather will last the whole week, with showers easing later tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday morning," he said.

"Showers will continue to hang around south of Queensland's central coast to the border."

A severe weather warning is still in place for Gladstone, Gympie, Bundaberg, Kingaroy, Hervey Bay, Fraser Island, Brisbane, Ipswich, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast and adjacent hinterland areas.

At 8am, it was reported that relieved Bundaberg residents woke to light drizzle but the weather bureau says the rain is not over yet - with another surface trough developing offshore.

The Bundaberg region has experienced moderate falls of up to 55mm so far, but heavier falls of up to 200mm could still be on the way.

Meterologist Michelle Berry said a second surface trough was developing off the Wide Bay-Burnett and Capricorn coasts, and should move inland tonight bringing "persistent" rainfall tonight and tomorrow, easing into Wednesday.

Overnight, flood-weary Queenslanders were warned to steel themselves for another "kick in the ribs" by Mother Nature.

Authorities already struggling to repair hundreds of millions of dollars of damaged roads and bridges will have a fresh onslaught of heavy rainfall to deal with across the state's southeast today.

There are fears that damaged roads from the January floods will not survive another drenching as some regions brace for up to 400mm of rain over the next 48 hours, based on weather bureau predictions.

The heavy rain is set to ease on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

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Flood-ravaged Bundaberg, still mopping up after one of its worst floods on record, is among those in the firing line.

The damage bill from January's flooding has already reached $1.1 billion, with another $1 billion of state assets yet to be assessed.

There are now fears the bill - which threatens to outstrip that of the 2011-12 floods - could rise again.

Minister for Local Government, Community Recovery and Resilience David Crisafulli said the longer a road stayed wet, the higher the chance it would incur structural damage.

"At a time when people really want to get on with the rebuild it is another swift kick in the ribs," Mr Crisafulli said.

"I want people to understand that while it is terrible timing, the moment this goes we must continue the great effort that has been there," he said.

"We just have to treat this for what it is and that is another speed bump thrown at us by Mother Nature.

"We can't let it destroy our resolve. There has been some really good progress."

Transport Minister Scott Emerson said he was concerned about the impact of the latest weather system on the road network, with 3642km open to motorists under either a reduced speed limit or other restriction and 109km of roads still closed to traffic.

The Burnett Highway, near Mt Morgan, remains closed due to 35 landslips, as does Mt Sylvia Rd near Laidley.

Roads still open but with restrictions include the Capricorn, Warrego, Cunningham, Gore and Leichhardt highways.

The weather bureau's Richard Wardle said the 400mm of rainfall would be spaced over days rather than during one day as it was in January during ex-tropical cyclone Oswald.

But he predicted falls of 100-200mm over 24 hours and up to 400mm over a broad area over the next 48 hours.

"For Monday and Tuesday we're looking at a large area receiving quite heavy rainfalls along the coast.

"Heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding are our main concerns," Mr Wardle said.

Seqwater yesterday began preparing for the wet by releasing water from dams.

Corporate and community relations manager Mike Foster said the releases, from North Pine Dam and Wivenhoe Dam, were low-level.

Water was being released from Wivenhoe Dam at 280 cubic metres a second, compared to 1500 cubic metres a second on Australian Day weekend.

The temporary full supply level for North Pine Dam was being drawn down to 88 per cent, similar to the temporary full supply of Wivenhoe.

"It's very much a precautionary decision that has been taken," Mr Foster said.

The wet weather had already begun for Bundaberg yesterday, with 20mm of rain as of 5pm and more on the way.

Logan City had 26mm by 3pm yesterday, while Gladstone, Gympie, Kingaroy, Hervey Bay, Fraser Island, the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Ipswich and the Gold Coast are also in for heavy falls today and tomorrow as a slow-moving upper trough and associated upper low crosses the state.

Bundaberg authorities also reported six waterspouts off Bargara, causing the evacuation of beaches and minor damage to the Bundaberg Surf Life Saving Club building.

Reporting by Brian Williams, Naomi Lim, Kelmeny Fraser, Rikki-Lee Arnold, Tom Chamberlin, Kathleen Donaghey, Caitlin Drysdale

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Poll shows clear Abbott lead over Gillard

TONY Abbott has a clear lead over Julia Gillard as preferred prime minister for the first time since July last year, the latest Newspoll shows.

Voter satisfaction with the prime minister has dived to its lowest since August last year and Labor's primary vote languishes at a seven-month low, according to the poll published in The Australian.

The survey, taken at the weekend, shows Labor's primary vote is just 31 per cent and the coalition's is 47 per cent.

Based on preference flows at the last election, the coalition has a two-party-preferred lead of 55 per cent to Labor's 45 per cent.

After formally breaking away from Labor, the Greens' primary vote rose from 9 per cent to 11 per cent.

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Storms destroy homes as floods swamp NSW

Homes on the NSW mid-north coast have been destroyed as waters continue to rise across the state. Source: AAP

A BIG clean-up is underway after gale force winds wrecked houses, cut power and felled trees across parts of Sydney and the NSW south coast.

In the state's north around 20,000 people remain isolated by floodwaters but conditions are easing as swollen rivers disgorge their extra loads into the sea.

The State Emergency Service had received nearly 5000 calls for help from across the state by late Sunday evening.

More than 2000 were in the Sydney area where 100km/h winds resulted in an asbestos scare.

In the city's southeast, savage gusts extensively damaged the roof of the RSL club in Malabar, causing sheets of asbestos to fly onto nearby homes and roads.

A number of streets were blocked off by Fire and Rescue NSW crews on Sunday, as private contractors were tasked with cleaning up the area.

Residents were told not to panic about air contamination but to contact the NSW Environment Protection Authority if they noticed asbestos near their homes or backyards.

"There is no need for residents to be concerned that the air they breathe is contaminated," Superintendent Paul Bailey told Fairfax Media.

Elsewhere in Sydney's east, locals described wind gusts that felt like "mini tornadoes", which damaged a primary school and tore part of the roof off Fox Studios.

The SES also responded to around 400 calls on the south coast, where Kiama was the hardest hit, SES spokeswoman Becky Collings said.

"We had three homes that were completely written off, and seven others that suffered significant damage," she told AAP.

"We had a lot of trees down and roof damage."

SES spokesman Phil Campbell said severe storms in parts of western Sydney and the Illawarra on Sunday night had not resulted in too many calls for help.

He said SES crews and firefighters had been busy making temporary repairs to wind-damaged houses at Malabar, Kiama and Narellan.

Mr Campbell said the SES had performed 75 flood rescues since the low pressure system hit the state on Friday.

One of those was of seven campers rescued by helicopter on Sunday morning from their camping site beside the Clyde River near Ulladulla on the south coast after they were stranded by rising waters.

Around 20,600 people in 39 separate communities remained isolated by floodwaters on the NSW mid-north coast on Sunday night while about 4150 people were still affected by evacuation orders or warnings.

Some properties at Port Macquarie flooded on Sunday morning as the Hastings River swelled to its expected peak of 1.8 metres.

The Macleay River at Kempsey peaked at 7m on Sunday near the town's CBD, about 30 centimetres below expectations, causing some inundation but not the feared flooding of many shops and homes.

On Sunday night the main affected flood areas were downstream of Kempsey and downstream of Grafton on the Clarence.

"The flooding is easing, all the rivers have peaked past the major towns and are now moving down towards the mouths of the various rivers," Mr Campbell said.

A few people with medical issues had been moved from isolated communities which would be resupplied with essential items if required by flood boats or helicopters, he said.

Ausgrid said around 1000 homes were expected to be without power on Sunday night across Sydney's north and the Central Coast after the storms cut power to more than 20,000 homes.

Two people died in the floods including a man found in his submerged car at Mylneford, northwest of Grafton, and a 17-year-old boy swept into a drainpipe while collecting golf balls in the town of Kew, near Port Macquarie.

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pope's last Sunday blessing draws crowd

POPE Benedict XVI has given his pontificate's final Sunday blessing from his studio window to the cheers of tens of thousands of people packing St Peter's Square, and sought to reassure the faithful that he isn't abandoning the church by retiring to spend his final years in prayer.

The 85-year-old Benedict is stepping down on Thursday evening, the first pope to do so in 600 years, after saying he no longer has the mental or physical strength to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

But while he has lately looked tired and frail, the crowd filling the cobblestone square seemed to energise him, and he spoke in a clear, strong voice, repeatedly thanking the faithful for their closeness and affection as they interrupted him, again and again, with applause and cheers. Police estimated some 100,000 people turned out.

Benedict told the crowd that God is calling him to dedicate himself "even more to prayer and meditation", which he will do in a secluded monastery being renovated for him on the grounds behind Vatican City's ancient walls.

"But this doesn't mean abandoning the church," he said, as many in the crowd looked sad at his departure from regular view. "On the contrary, if God asks me, this is because I can continue to serve it (the church) with the same dedication and the same love which I have tried to do so until now, but in a way more suitable to my age and to my strength."

The phrase "tried to" was the Pope's ad-libbed addition to his prepared text.

Benedict has one more public appearance, a Wednesday general audience in St Peter's Square.

The Pope smiled at the crowd after an aide parted the white curtain at his window, telling the people, "thank you for your affection".

Heavy rain had been forecast for Rome, and some drizzle dampened the square earlier in the morning. But when Benedict appeared, to the peal of church bells as the clock struck noon, blue sky crept through the clouds.

"We thank God for the sun he has given us," the Pope said, sounding cheerful.

As cheers continued in the crowd, the pontiff simply turned away from the window and stepped back down into apartment, which he will leave on Thursday, taking a helicopter to the Vatican summer residence in the hills outside Rome while he waits for the monastery to be ready.

A child in the crowd held up a sign on a yellow placard, written in Italian, "You are not alone, I'm with you." Other admirers held homemade signs, saying "Grazie".

No date has yet been set for the start of the conclave of cardinals, who will vote in secret to elect Benedict's successor.

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Topless feminists in Berlusconi protest

THREE topless feminists have lunged at Italy's Silvio Berlusconi as he arrived at a polling station in Milan to vote in the general election.

The young women had the slogan "Basta Berlusconi" ("Enough With Berlusconi") scrawled on their backs.

They were quickly detained by police and dragged away screaming in a chaotic scene as ordinary people also queued to vote at the school on Sunday.

Police struggled to put their jackets and handcuffs on the women as they writhed in the snow.

The feminists broke through a line of journalists outside the polling station and jumped over some tables toward Berlusconi but did not reach him.

The scandal-tainted Berlusconi is leading a centre-right coalition in the election and polls indicate he will come second to the centre-left.

20.07 | 0 komentar | Read More