India wheels out new long-range missile

INDIA has wheeled out a new long-range nuclear missile that can hit anywhere in China and warned rival Pakistan not to take its friendship "for granted" as it celebrated its Republic Day with a big parade.

India successfully tested last April the Agni V missile, which has a range of 5000km and can strike across the Chinese mainland and even hit targets as far away as Europe.

The first appearance in Saturday's annual parade of the Agni V - seen as marking a significant upgrade of India's nuclear deterrent - came along with the display of other expensive military hardware.

India's shorter-range Agni I and II were developed with rival Pakistan in mind, while later versions reflect India's focus on China.

India and China have prickly ties and a legacy of mistrust stemming from a brief border war in 1962.

On the eve of Republic Day, marking proclamation of India's constitution in 1947, President Pranab Mukherjee told Pakistan in his annual nationwide televised address that New Delhi's hand of friendship should "not be taken for granted".

His speech came amid a ceasefire which took hold last week in disputed Kashmir after the nations agreed to halt cross-border firing that has threatened to unravel a fragile peace process.

"We believe in peace on the border and are always ready to offer a hand in the hope of friendship... but this hand should not be taken for granted," he said.

Before the ceasefire, Pakistan said three of its soldiers died in firing by Indian troops along a de facto border dividing Kashmir between the two nations.

India, in turn, accused Pakistani troops of killing two of its soldiers, one of whom was beheaded, and the Himalayan region remains on edge.

In his speech, president Mukherjee also said it was time for India to "reset its moral compass" following the gang-rape and murder of a student last month that ignited nationwide demonstrations to press for better safety for women.

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Tornadoes hit coastal towns: 20 hurt

A badly damaged house and downed power lines are seen after a tornado ripped through Bargara on Queensland's coast. YouTube/nikkogsxr

WARNING signals will be broadcast for the Wide Bay area as tornado activity continues throughout the night, with five tornadoes earlier hitting the region.

Earlier this evening, radar imagery was showing a sixth tornado gaining strength about 30km west of Maryborough and moving south to southwest at about 50km/h.

Locals are watching nervously after seeing Bargara, near Bundaberg, hit with the first tornado about 1pm.

It brought down powerlines, tearing off roofs and flinging iron and windows across the streets.

Burnett Heads, just north of Bargara, was then hit about 3pm with a third tornado ripping through Coonarr soon after.

For our comprehensive wrap of the flood crisis, click here.

Bungadoo, around 40km south southwest of Bundaberg was hit just after 4pm and the fifth tornado struck again at Burnett Heads about 6.21pm, damaging the roofs of two homes and several powerlines.

"We've had quite a lot of damage from the tornadoes, with major damage to shopping centres and powerlines down," Bureau of Meteorology technical forecaster Ken Kato said.

Raw vision from Channel Ten shows the impact of wild storms and a tornado near Bundaberg on Queensland's coast.

"I would not call them mini, they are proper tornados," he said.

The Bureau of Meteorology and Emergency Management Queensland will be issuing the Standard Emergency Warning Signal before updates to the severe weather events over radio or television.

EMQ Assistant Director-General Bruce Grady said EMQ had been advised by the BoM that current radar imagery suggests the strong possibility of tornado-like activity would continue to affect areas across the Wide Bay and Burnett District.

"While it is not possible to indicate where exactly these events will occur, destructive winds, heavy rainfall, abnormally high tides and dangerous surf has been forecast for the Wide Bay and Burnett, Southeast Coast and parts of the Darling Downs and Granite Belt Districts," Mr Grady said.

The tornadoes have left at least 20 people injured and two people seriously hurt.

Two people were critically injured when a giant pine fell on their parked car on the Esplanade at Bargara, while two homes were completely destroyed in the tornado that struck Burnett Heads.

Authorities said Burnett Heads was again struck by the latest in the series of twisters, which hit the area at 6pm AEST and 6.30pm.

Bargara Bowling Club after the tornado. Picture: Sabrina Lauriston

Two people were believed to have been injured in the second onslaught, with powerlines down and at least one roof torn from a home.

And the Bureau of Meteorology says the worst may be yet to come.

It has forecast the "strong possibility" of further tornado activity around Burnett Heads, Wide Bay and at Maryborough, south of Bundaberg.

See more pictures from the damage

Emergency Services Minister Jack Dempsey, who lives in Bundaberg, said 150 homes had been damaged at Burnett Heads.

Mr Dempsey said he could not confirm the number of injuries, but said a triage centre had been set up in Bargara to deal to tend to at least a dozen people injured by flying glass and other debris.

Two people were critically injured when their car was struck by a tree and were undergoing emergency treatment in Bundaberg hospital, he said.

This Twitter photo from Channel 7 Bundaberg shows emergency crews working to free a man trapped in his car after a pine tree fell on the vehicle during a mini-tornado. PIC: Pippa Bradshaw/ Channel 7

Mr Dempsey said East Bundaberg and small townships in the area had also been hit by mini-tornadoes, but it was not clear whether there had been several individual tornadoes or whether they were part of the same weather system.

Local councillor Greg Barnes told The Courier-Mail he witnessed the Bargara tornado as it tore through his neighbourhood.

Cr Barnes said a man and woman are currently trapped in their ute after a Norfolk Pine was brought down onto the cab of the vehicle. They appear to be seriously injured, he said.

Cr Barnes said the tornado swept through the northern end of Bargara, impacting buildings and homes including his own.

He said the most affected areas were between Bargara Road and McCavanagh Street and Davidson Street and the Esplanade.

Emergency crews have been activated and residents are urged to stay away from the area as there are live wires down.

Cr Barnes said he had heard reports the local bowls club may have lost its roof (Story continues below).

View Triple Twisters in a larger map

"It's not a good situation. I urge people to keep away. It's not something you need to come and see. It's very dangerous. There are live wires down in nearly every street,' Cr Barnes said.

"They're going to have to shut down the power out here. We need the public to play their part and keep away."

Bargara resident Judith McNamara, who witnessed the tornado through her kitchen window, said it left a car in her yard with a tree through it.

"All of a sudden ... I looked up and a tree went flying through the air ... and the car went up," she told ABC radio.

Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said it damaged homes, shops, a bowling club and government buildings.

All roads into the town are closed.

DAMAGE in Bargara after a tornado struck on Saturday. Pic: Ergon Facebook

Kathleen Donaghy, Kelmeny Fraser and Brittany Vonow with AAP

This Twitter picture from Channel Nine News shows emergency personnel at Bargara after the mini tornado hit. PIC: Courtesy Nine News.

A tornado has ripped through Bargara, tearing roofs off homes, ripping down powerlines and knocking down trees. Emergency crews are on scene and many roads have been closed. Picture: Ergon Enegy Facebook Page

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Eight killed after Egypt soccer verdict

EGYPTIAN security officials say the military is being deployed to the Mediterranean city of Port Said after eight people were killed in riots outside the main prison following a controversial verdict related to one of the world's deadliest incidents of soccer violence.

Two police were shot dead outside Port Said's main prison when angry relatives tried to storm the facility to free the defendants on trial.

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd, killing six in Saturday's violence outside the prison.

At least 75 people were injured.

Port Said residents also cut off the main road leading to the city.

Officials spoke anonymously in line with regulations.

Earlier in the courtroom, families of the deceased wailed and raised their hands in the air shouting "Allahu Akbar", Arabic for "God is great".

The judge said in his statement read live on state TV that he would announce the verdict for the remaining 52 defendants on March 9.

Among those on trial are nine security officials.

The soccer melee on February 1, 2012 between Port Said's Al-Masry fans and Cairo's Al-Ahly fans was the world's deadliest soccer violence in 15 years, killing 74 people.

As is customary in Egypt, the death sentences will be sent to a top religious authority, the Grand Mufti, for approval.

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Peris draft 'tokenism', Bernardi says

CONTROVERSIAL Liberal senator Cory Bernardi has labelled the federal government's drafting of Aboriginal Olympian Nova Peris "tokenism of the highest order", drawing an angry response from Labor.

Senator Bernardi told Adelaide radio on Friday that while Peris was an extraordinary athlete, her skills as a politician were yet to be demonstrated.

"I think it's tokenism of the highest order," he said of Prime Minister Julia Gillard's decision to parachute Ms Peris to the top of Labor's Northern Territory Senate ticket - ahead of 15-year incumbent Trish Crossin.

"Basically a sitting senator is being dumped by the prime minister because she's got the wrong colour skin, and I think that's an appalling precedent."

Senator Bernardi - who was dumped from a senior coalition role last year for linking homosexuality to bestiality - also said while Ms Peris could turn out to be a wonderful member of parliament, her path had been tarnished.

"Because there is always going to be that cloud, if you like, of how did you get here and do you deserve to be here?"

But Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin said Ms Peris was a great advocate for Aboriginal people.

"It's a sad reflection on Liberal politicians that so many of them are trying to run down a determined and driven Aboriginal woman who is seeking to represent her community in federal parliament," Ms Macklin said.

Ms Gillard later defended her choice of Ms Peris.

"I've decided that our political party will support a woman who I think is very likely to become the first indigenous woman in Australian parliament," she told ABC radio in Canberra.

She said it would depend on the voters of the Northern Territory.

"But I'm very optimistic that she'll right that part of our history for us."

The opposition leader on Friday reiterated the episode raised fresh questions about Ms Gillard's judgment.

"And I can fully understand why so many Labor MPs are today wondering whether their own jobs are safe," he said.

"This is a prime minister who deals ruthlessly with anyone who is standing in her way."

Prominent Aboriginal leader and Australian of the Year finalist Tom Calma leapt to Ms Peris' defence on Friday, saying the attacks on her were unacceptable.

Ms Peris on Thursday responded to unsubstantiated rumours about her handling of education programs in the Northern Territory and denied misusing NT Department of Education assets.

She released a statement saying the whispers about her departure from the department were "malicious and unfounded rumours".

Dr Calma said all aspiring politicians must be held accountable but should not be subject to vitriol.

"The scrutiny is fine, the vitriol is unacceptable," the social justice campaigner told reporters in Canberra.

If all goes to Ms Gillard's plan, Ms Peris will be the first indigenous woman elected to the federal parliament.

The ALP national executive meets next Tuesday and is expected to endorse Ms Peris as the federal party's NT Senate candidate.

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Buttrose named Australian of the Year

AUSTRALIAN of the Year Ita Buttrose wants to promote a more positive approach to ageing by tackling community attitudes toward older people.

The 71-year-old was on Friday honoured at a ceremony in Canberra for her extraordinary and groundbreaking media career and role in raising awareness of health and media issues.

Ms Buttrose said she was honoured to follow in the footsteps of so many distinguished Australians.

"This is one of the proudest moments of my life," she said, her voice quavering slightly.

"How wonderful to be honoured for doing something that I've thoroughly enjoyed doing for most of my life - being a journalist and working for causes for which I have a genuine passion and commitment."

Born in Sydney's Potts Point, Ms Buttrose began her career as a 15-year-old copy girl at The Australian Women's Weekly, before scoring a spot as a cadet journalist on the women's section at the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. She was appointed women's editor of the newspapers aged 23.

But it was as founding editor of Cleo magazine that she shot to national prominence in the 1970s.

Cleo was an instant hit, becoming the top selling monthly women's magazine in the country.

Three years later she was appointed editor of The Women's Weekly.

In 1980 she became the first woman editor of an Australian metropolitan newspaper - the Murdoch-owned Daily Telegraph, and later the Sunday Telegraph.

Ms Buttrose was the first woman appointed to the News Limited Board in 1981 and last year she was the subject of a TV drama, Paper Giants.

Ms Buttrose has used her prominence to raise awareness of health issues such as breast cancer, HIV/AIDS and prostate cancer.

She now plans to tackle the issue of ageing and promote preventative health.

"I believe preventative health strategies need to begin in childhood and followed all through life," Ms Buttrose said.

She has been national president of Alzheimer's Australia since 2011 and is also vice president emeritus of Arthritis Australia.

Alzheimer's Australia applauded her commitment to improving the quality of life of people with dementia.

"We can beat dementia, we can remove the stigma and the sense of shame that comes with diagnosis if we increase community understanding," Ms Buttrose said.

"I look forward to many more years to contributing what I can towards the health challenges facing our country."

Ms Buttrose's children Kate and Ben Macdonald were in the audience to see their mother honoured at the Canberra ceremony.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said considering it had been some time since a woman last won the award, it was nice to see Ms Buttrose bag the honour.

Women like Ms Buttrose had helped advance the role of women in the workplace, and Ms Gillard said she herself had much to be thankful for as Australia's first female prime minister.

"It's only possible for me to be here in this position because I'm standing on the shoulders of women who have come before," Ms Gillard told ABC Radio.

"And I'd like to hope that me doing this position will make a difference for the women to come."

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Dam levels reduced, record for Rocky

A swiftwater rescue officer saves a young boy in Frenchmans Creek at Rockhampton. PIC: Allan Reinikka/The Morning Bulletin Source: Supplied

WATER releases from Wivenhoe and North Pine dams will start this afternoon as the State Government takes a "no chances" approach to a heavy rain event in the south-east.

9.05pm: A SMALL town near Biloela in central Queensland has been put on emergency alert as flooding worsens tonight.

Residents near Callide Creek have been warned that an urgent flood release from the Callide Dam is expected to reach 1.5 metres.

The Banana Shire Council has opened the Jambin Hall for the evacuees.

For further information contact the Banana Shire Council on 4992 9500, listen to your local ABC radio station, or log on to www.disaster.qld.gov.au. Only call triple zero (000) if you or your property is in danger or if someone is injured.

5.26pm:

More than 500mm fell in 24 hours in parts of Rockhampton as the central Queensland swings into clean-up mode after record rainfall left parts of the city without water or power.

4.21pm: Sewage bubbling up out of grates and flowing into the streets of Gladstone does not pose a health risk, the city's mayor says.

Gladstone Mayor Gail Sellers says her region has been inundated with rain from ex-tropical cyclone Oswald, which is bearing south down Queensland's east coast.

Ms Sellers says authorities have been notified about sewage rising up into the streets, but residents should not be concerned.

Emergency crews in the state rescued several people from Rockhampton floodwaters, including the 14-year-old boy in this video. Courtesy ABC News

"The reason it's not a problem is it's so diluted," Ms Sellers told AAP.

"We've got so much water here, it's so diluted, it's not a health risk and we're dealing with it."

Ms Sellers said road access to Gladstone had been cut from all directions, but she did not expect it to remain that way for long.

But if the Bruce Highway was cut for an extended period, there could be supply problems, she said.

Ms Sellers said the city was still not clear of Oswald's wrath, with more rain and 90km/h winds predicted across the region.

But the mayor was optimistic there would not be much damage, given the city had already dealt with 600mm of rain in the past two days but only experienced minor localised flooding.

"Our staff here at council have been working hard, they've been here all night, so we're over it," she said.

The city's harbour has been closed, the region's national parks are shut and Gladstone's Australia Day celebrations on Saturday have been cancelled.

However, Gladstone Airport has been cleared of water and remains open.

The dramatic rescue of a 14-year-old boy from floodwaters in Rockhampton. Picture: ABC News

3.30pm: THE SEVERE weather conditions in Queensland have prompted Qantas to cancel flights.

Several flights to and from Gladstone, Rockhampton and Moranbah have been disrupted or cancelled today, a spokesman for the airline said.

Customers can rebook on alternative flights and Qantas is hoping to reschedule people onto the next available flights.

3.20pm: Moreton Bay Regional Council is expecting Youngs Crossing Road to close from about 8pm tonight as water is released from North Pine Dam.

Impacts may be felt on local roads including Youngs Crossing Road and Vores Road.

Council will erect signs advising drivers of any closures 

1.30pm: Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said he was not expecting any widespread flooding in the city, which was hit hard in the 2011 floods.

But he said people in the Bundamba and Woogaroo Creek catchment areas need to remain vigilant and aware of the risk of localised flash flooding.

Australia Day events cancelled

While some roads may be closed the latest computer modelling indicates there should be only minimal stream rises in the Bremer River between One Mile and the junction of the Brisbane River.

"It is important to note that while significant rainfall is forecast, the dryness of the catchment means we are not expecting any major flooding." he said in a statement.

12.16pm:  WATER releases from Wivenhoe and North Pine dams will start this afternoon as the State Government takes a "no chances" approach to a heavy rain event in the south-east.

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald is continuing to head south over land, dumping heavy rain in its wake.

Send us your wet weather pics via email to cmonline@qnp.newsltd.com.au or MMS to 0428 258 117 (include your name with MMS for attribution)

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rob Webb said between 200 and 300 mm was expected over the greater Brisbane region this weekend.

Premier Campbell Newman said they did not want to take any chances in the wake of the 2011 floods, and the dam releases would be "modest".

"I'm not worried, but I'm concerned," said Mr Newman at the emergency services complex at Kedron.

Water Supply Minister Mark McArdle said 41,000 mega litres would be released from Wivenhoe over 24 hours from late today, and 8000 megalitres from North Pine over 11 hours.

How the weather will descend on southeast Queensland.

The releases would reduce the capacity of Wivenhoe to 88 per cent, from just over 91 currently.

"Our aim is to protect the people and property of South East Queensland by making certain the dams are at their most efficient and at their best levels to take inflows and allow outflows to occur to ensure property damage and lives are not risked," said Mr McArdle. 

Mr Newman said the main concerns for Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine Coasts were suburban creek flooding and storm water drains.

"For motorists, if the road is flooded, forget it. We don't want people risking their lives to save others," he said.

"For parents, stop kids from playing in storm water drains. It's a death sentence."

Mr Webb said it was too early to say if similar heavy rain events would occur in coming weeks.

"Water temperatures are still very high, so the likelihood of further cyclones does exist between now and April," Mr Webb said.

12.00pm: THE heavy rain across the state has broken a daily rainfall record for Rockhampton as the downpour surges towards the south-east.

In the last 24 hours to 9am today 349mm fell on Rockhampton breaking the town's daily record.

Dangerous flooding has hit Rockhampton in Queensland causing problems for residents.

The previous record was 271mm on December 20 in 1973.

The highest rainfalls record in the last 24 hours occurred around Rockhampton with Upper Dee, south of the town, having the most rain at 569mm.

Just outside of Rockhampton, Pacific Heights recorded 557mm and Glenlands had 459mm.

North of Rockhampton at Yeppoon 350mm was dumped on the town in 24 hours.

As the storm cells moved south overnight about 100mm was dumped on Bundaberg.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Pradeep Singh said just 7.8mm has fallen on Rockhampton since 9am today and just 50mm was likely in the coming 24 hours as the rain band moved south.

He said areas from Gladstone to St Lawrence could expect up to 80mm of rain today.

The Wide Bay and Burnett Regions, Marlborough and the Sunshine Coast could see up to 300mm today.

He said conditions similar to those in Rockhampton last night are expected in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast tomorrow.

Heavy rain caused a big washout along part of the Bruce Highway at roadworks at Cardwell. Cardwell resident Les Harris looks at the damage. PIC: Evan Morgan

The Gold Coast should experience the most rainfall from tomorrow night with about 300mm likely.

Mr Singh said Brisbane had already recorded rainfalls over 50mm in the last 24 hours until 9am.

Young's Crossing at Lawnton, in Brisbane's north, recorded the highest rainfall in the south-east with 69mm in the last 24 hours.

"In the south-east the rain will start to get into the 100mms over the night and into Saturday we are forecasting two to 300mm of rainfall for the next couple of the days," Mr Singh said.

Just 22mm fell in Brisbane in the last 24 hours until 9am with 46mm on the Gold Coast.

"The heavier falls will expand all the way to south today and than we expect the heaviest falls to be on Saturday night in Brisbane with thunderstorms," Mr Singh said.

The weather in Brisbane should start to ease on Sunday and into the working week.

Mr Singh warned that conditions on the coasts would be "quite bad" in the coming days with gale force winds likely on the Gold Coast with the Sunshine Coast already experiencing strong winds.

The wind and rain would also bring big swells with up to 4.5m waves expected on the Gold Coast from tomorrow.

Thousands of homes in north Qld are without power and rail lines have been closed as heavy rain continues.

12.05pm: TWO men have had to be rescued after their dinghy overturned and was swept into the Fitzroy River while they were herding cattle away from floodwaters.

The incident occurred around 11am at Depot Hill, just outside Rockhampton.

The two men were trying to save cows from floodwaters at Gavial Creek when they overturned.

SES and swift water rescue technicians were sent to the incident and found the two men a short time later.

Meanwhile, a helicopter has been dispatched to rescue a group of people from the Capricorn Highway at Wycarbah, southwest of Rockhampton.

QFRS were not called to the incident and police said they had reports a car was floating in a paddock after it was swept off the highway.

There is no other information available at this stage.

11.30: RESIDENTS from the Sunshine Coast to Bundaberg are being urged to prepare emergency kits stocked with food, water and other essentials like nappies as the region bunkers down for up to three days of anticipated heavy rain which could cut roads and trap residents.

Townsville residents Alexander Colley, 10, Jaaron Colley, 7, and Ryley Colley, won't let a little flooding stop them from enjoying their last few days of the school holiday. PIC: Wesley Monts

Bundaberg is expecting a deluge of some 500mm in the next 48 hours which could cause localised flash flooding. Gympie mayor Ron Dyne said his city was expecting a lesser 200mm over the next three days which was not expected to affect the flood-prone business on Mary Street.

The Sunshine Coast is anticipating stronger winds as today progresses and heavy rain, strong winds and big swell of up to 5m over the weekend which may impact a high tide on Sunday.

Council disaster management groups are keeping an eye on major rivers which have the potential to flood and inundate homes and businesses if rain falls over the catchments, including the Burnett River in Bundaberg and the Mary River in Maryborough and Gympie.

Bundaberg council's disaster management officer Matt Dyer said the region was expecting up to 200mm a day over the next two days.

"We are currently modelling scenarios and local disaster management groups are on alert. We've learned many lesson from the 2010 and 2011 floods," said Mr Dyer.

"The next 48 hours will be most telling."

Already State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers have responded to call-outs across the north coast region to deal with leaky roofs and to cut down dangerous trees.

Residents on the Sunshine Coast are being urged to clear their yards of dangerous debris ahead of possible gale force winds tomorrow. Some people have started collecting sandbags to protect their homes after learning from last year's extreme rainfall events.

A cruiser was washed onto rocks at Airlie Beach yesterday as the bad weather generated by ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald set in. PIC: Bob Fenney

11.17am: TWO men are feared to be missing in waters off Rockhampton.

The pair were onboard a 38-foot fishing boat in the Casuarina Passage off Port Alma when it started taking on water around 11.20pm on Thursday night.

A distress call was received at the time but rescue vessels and aircraft could not go to the area due to rough weather conditions.

The Passage leads directly to the Coral Sea.

Air and sea searches started this morning but have been hampered by heavy rain and high winds battering the area.

10.15am: SANDBAGS will be made available to Brisbane residents concerned about localised flooding ahead of heavy rain forecast for the Australia Day weekend and in to next week.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk this morning announced pre-filled bags could be collected from BCC depots at Shamrock Street at Darra, Redfern Street at Morningside, Lathe Sreet at Virginia and at the Newmarket SES depot in Wilston Road.

Cr Quirk said the step had been taken after the Weather Bureau issued a severe weather warning for parts of the capital, which included possible heavy rain, strong winds and potential flash flooding.

He said BCC was hopeful the city would be spared the worst of the bad weather but residents should nevertheless remain vigilant - particularly in low lying zones around the Norman, Bulimba, Breakfast/Enoggera, Stable Swamp/Oxley and Cabbage Tree creek catchments and the Zilman Waterhole at Boondall.

"This is not to alarm people but simply to say we are on full alert," he said.

"We will be ready for the event of creek flooding which is the most likely scenario over the coming week if we get substantial and sustained heavy rain."

Cr Quirk also urged drivers to take care on the roads and monitor weather updates. Residents not yet signed up to BCC's free early alert system can do so at www.brisbane.qld.gov.au

9.50am: RESIDENTS have escaped injury after a "large" landslide sparked initial fears of a house collapsing at Frenchville, north of Rockhampton, this morning.

An emergency services spokeswoman said reports of the Archer View Tce two-storey home caving in at 8.20am were false.

"Fire and Rescue have told us there was a large landslide resting against the lower level of the two storey house," she said.

"There were no injuries and residents have asked for either an engineer or assistance from council."

It is not yet known what damage was caused to the house.

9am: THE teenage boy who was stuck in high, "fast moving" floodwaters in Frenchville, north of Rockhamton, has been rescued.

The teenager has been taken to Rockhampton Base Hospital in a stable condition.

8.40am: AN AUSTRALIA day ceremony has been washed out by the torrential rain in Rockhampton.

Fire fighters and ambulance officers were among those that were to be honoured at the Department of Community Safety's Australia Day celebration today.

The event, which was to be held at the North Rockhampton Bowls Club, was cancelled this morning and is likely to be rescheduled for later in the week.

8.15am: FIVE Queensland Fire and Rescue crews have been called to save a teenager who is reported to be stuck in "fast moving" floodwaters in Frenchville, north of Rockhampton.

The teen, believed to be around 14-years-old, is understood to be clinging to a tree.

An emergency services spokeswoman said swift water rescue technicians are in the water and trying to make their way to the teenager.

The incident was reported around 7.15am and is the only incident believed to have occurred since 20 swift water rescues were conducted overnight.

MAJOR ROAD CLOSURES DUE TO FLOODING:

- Bruce Highway at Ingham, Marlborough, Marmor, Midgee and Toobanna
- Burke Developmental Rd, Highbury and Howitt
- Burnett Highway at Dululu and Mount Morgan
- Dawson Highway, Calliope
- Leichhardt Highway, Dululu

6.45am: FIRE fighters were called to more than 20 swift water rescue incidents around central Queensland overnight as heavy rainfall continues to drench the state.

More than 400mm of rain has been dumped on the Rockhampton region in a 24-hour period, with the heavy rainfall expected to hit southeast Queensland by Saturday.

Bureau of Metrology senior forecaster Brett Harrison said 469mm of rain has been recorded south of Rockhampton since 9am Thursday and this amount is the heaviest across the state.

A further 300mm of water fell at Samuel Hill north of Rockhampton, with Rockhampton recording 292mm of rain and Yeppoon copping 289mm.

Mr Harrison said the rain is expected to continue in the Rockhampton region and across Queensland, but the heaviest rainfall will start to move south as of today.

"We do expect the rain to continue through those areas but I don't think we'll see another 400mm," he said.

"The heaviest fall will slowly move southwards now. Areas between Rockhampton and Hervey Bay should expect the heaviest falls. It's too early to tell how much will fall, but the peak should be around the 300mm mark.

"Around the southeast the heaviest falls will be seen tomorrow and Sunday and the most rainfall will be around the Sunshine Coast Hinterland region."

Mr Harrison said a flood warning currently stands for coastal rivers and adjacent streams in central Queensland between Sarina and Bundaberg.

More warnings are expected to be issued today.

Meanwhile, emergency services have confirmed QFRS attended more than 20 swift water rescues around central Queensland overnight.

An emergency services spokeswoman said the most significant incidents occurred in Yeppoon and south of Rockhampton, but no major injuries have been reported.

In Yeppoon two houses have been inundated with floodwater while another two homes on Moonmerra St in Kabra, southwest of Rockhampton, are under threat of water.

Seven people had to be evacuated from the Kabra homes around 3.30am this morning.

A woman and her two children from Middlemount, northwest of Rockhampton, were also rescued by crews around 3.20am when their car became isolated by floodwaters near Mackenzie River.

A man was also reported to have become stuck in a tree on the Leichhardt Highway at Wowan, southwest of Rockhampton, around 4.45am and crews were still in the process of rescuing him around 6.30am.

State Emergency Service was also kept busy overnight, called to 280 jobs in 24 hours.

Of these 100 were for Rockhampton, 43 for Mackay, 40 in Gladstone, 17 in Yeppoon, 11 in Emu Park, nine in Mt Morgan, eight in Townsville, six in Tannum Sands, five in Bundaberg and five in Cairns.

One of the incidents included two cars that became stuck on the Bruce Highway at Bob's Creek around 3.45am this morning.

Three SES personnel rescued those inside the cars.
 

6am: Emergency crews have rushed to six swift water rescues as rain continued to fall on Rockhampton overnight.

A Queensland Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said everyone involved had been accounted for but the emergency crews had been kept busy throughout the night.

Multiple roads were closed in the region with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing a flood warning for the Fitzroy River.

Senior forecaster Tony Auden said the rainfall was likely to continue.

"It does look like we can expect heavy rainfall to persist for the next couple of days," he said.

"But we should see an easing trend around that region on Saturday."

He warned of more possibilities of flooding in the region in the next couple of days.

MIDNIGHT:
BRISBANE and parts of the southeast face localised flooding this weekend, with the potential for about 300mm or more of rain from today until Monday.

It will be the first good drenching of city back yards in six months and will be followed by hot and muggy conditions next week.

By the time it dissipates, the monsoon low will have brought rain to more than 2000km of Queensland's coast and parts of NSW.

Torrential rain has lashed north Queensland, with Ingham, Halifax and Tully and parts of Townsville suffering some flooding.

More than 25 bulk carriers were forced offshore yesterday as huge seas and torrential rain whipped up by ex-Cyclone Oswald shut down loading at Hay Point near Mackay, one of the world's biggest coal ports.

Port authorities expect it is likely to be a three-day delay costing the state $8.5 million a day in royalties.

In the Whitsundays, tourists embraced the wild weather by surfing and kite boarding as airports reopened.

The rain also flushed out the odd north Queensland local, including two crocodiles seen walking on roads in Ingham.

Rainfall in the southeast over the next four days is expected to range from 100mm to 300mm.

Heaviest falls will be near the tropical low and under isolated storms, with the coast being battered by rough seas.

Brisbane's mean January rainfall is 159.6mm.

The low's impact in parched inland areas will be much less than on the coastal strip.

The Mackay to Gladstone region was copping the brunt of it yesterday, with Samuel Hill north of Yeppoon recording 148mm in six hours. Rockhampton had 79mm, Carmila to the north 73mm and Gladstone to the south, 58mm in the same period.

The remains of Oswald should be just north of Rockhampton this morning.

The weather bureau expects the monsoon low to be between Gladstone and Bundaberg tomorrow.

Weatherzone forecaster Melissa MacKellar said there was a low possibility of the system reforming into a cyclone tomorrow.

"It looks like Brisbane is going to be a bit wet but at least the risk of cyclone development in the tropical north will decrease for a while after this," she said.

Ingham Mayor Rodger Bow said most houses escaped inundation despite localised flooding.

"The heavy weather has backed off, the river is subsiding and the system has moved south. Now, we have to sit and wait for the water to go down," Cr Bow said.

Ex-Cyclone Oswald was heading southeast yesterday at 24km/h, with wind gusts of more than 125km/h.

 Brian Williams, Peter Michael, Kathleen Donaghey,Rickie-Lee Arnold, Robyn Ironside and Rose Brennan

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Perth residents on bushfire watch

A BUSHFIRE is threatening lives and homes in the northern Perth suburb of Trigg.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services issued a watch and act warning at 5.10pm (WST) on Thursday for people on the northern side of Karrinyup Road, between West Coast Drive and Marmion Avenue/West Coast Highway.

Residents have been urged to leave their homes if the way is clear or get ready to actively defend them.

Those who are not at home are warned against trying to return as conditions in the area could be very dangerous.

Several roads have been closed, creating traffic snarls for peak hour commuters on routes including West Coast Highway between Pearl Parade and Karrinyup Road, Elliot Road, and Karrinyup Road between West Coast Highway/Marmion Avenue and West Coast Drive.

Firefighters are on the ground and in the air.

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Two charged over alleged kidnap, torture

TWO people who allegedly tortured a woman in a north Queensland home this week have been charged.

It has been alleged a 34-year-old man and 25-year-old woman kidnapped the 39-year-old woman on January 20 before holding her against her will at a home in Cannonvale, near Airlie Beach.

The woman was allegedly tortured before she managed to escape and alert police.

A 34-year old Cannonvale man has been charged with three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and one count each of torture and kidnap.

A 25-year-old Cannonvale woman has been charged with one count each of torture and kidnap.

They are due to appear in the Proserpine Magistrates Court tomorrow.

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Two Aussies held over Phuket shooting

TWO Australian men facing charges of attempted murder after a shooting in the Thai resort island of Phuket have been transferred to the main prison pending a court hearing.

John Edward Cohen, 33, from NSW, and Tasmanian Adam Lewis Shea, 26, were detained late on Tuesday after a shooting that left two German tourists injured, one seriously.

Late on Thursday the men were transferred from police holding cells to the main prison in Phuket, where they will stay until Thai prosecutors finalise the case against the men, legal sources told AAP.

Thai police investigations are examining possible links between the men and an Australian outlaw motorcycle gang.

Cohen and Shea were arrested after allegedly pursuing a Danish man who they had a dispute with over the purchase of a $A10,000 bike.

Earlier on Tuesday the men had been expected to appear in court to settle the issue but the Danish man failed to appear. Thai police are now searching for the man.

Local media report Cohen told police the Danish man had sent a group of men to his Phuket residence. Cohen, who runs a tattoo business in Phuket, told police he feared for his safety and had "decided to make a move first".

The shooting occurred after the Danish man was seen leaving a hotel near Patong Beach.

Two German tourists, Johann Baschenegger, 42, and Joseph Woerner, 71, were wounded by stray bullets.

CCTV footage showed the German men racing back into the Baan Pirin Hotel clutching wounds to the arms.

Senior Thai police said the burst of fire in the middle of a tourist area called for "the highest penalties under the law".

The men have yet to make an official plea, which will be presented to the court at the next hearing, expected within 12 days.

Thai police sources said the men's lawyers could lodge a bail application to the court in the interim.

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European stocks edge higher at open

EUROPE'S main stock markets have gained slightly at the start of trading.

London's FTSE 100 index of leading companies rose 0.18 per cent to 6,190.02 points at the start of trading on Wednesday.

Frankfurt's DAX 30 index rose 0.09 per cent to 7,702.92 points and in Paris the CAC 40 climbed 0.06 per cent to 3,743.07.

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Australian men held over Thai shooting

TWO Australian men have been arrested in Phuket over the accidental shooting of two German tourists.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman confirmed John Edward Cohen, 33, from NSW, and Adam Lewis Shea, 26, from Tasmania, had been arrested in connection with the shooting.

Cohen, a long-time resident of the island, allegedly fired a pistol and accidentally hit the tourists at Patong Beach on Tuesday, they said.

The Phuket Wan newspaper said Johann Baschenegger, 41, was admitted to hospital in a serious condition.

Joseph Woerner, 71, was in a satisfactory condition.

Police said the shooting occurred around 7.45pm near the Baan Pirin Hotel where the Germans were staying.

The Australians allegedly fled after the shooting but were tracked down to a local bar.

Both men are reported to have links with a motorcycle club known as the Rebel MC.

Lawyers were on Wednesday trying to have the men released on bail.

Officials said the Australian men were receiving consular assistance.

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Netanyahu scrambles to keep his job

Benjamin Netanyahu's rightwing Likud-Beitenu list has won the Israeli election by a narrow majority. Source: AAP

A BADLY weakened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scrambling to keep his job after Israeli elections resulted in an unexpected deadlock.

The rightwinger is extending his hand to a new centrist party advocating a more earnest push for peace with Palestine.

With 99.5 per cent of the vote counted on Wednesday, the deadlocked election results defied forecasts Israel's next government would veer sharply to the right.

Israeli media said each bloc had 60 of parliament's 120 seats. Commentators said Netanyahu, who called early elections three months ago expecting easy victory, would be tapped to form the next government because the rival camp drew 12 of its 60 seats from Arab parties traditionally excluded from coalition building.

A surprising strong showing by a political newcomer, the centrist Yesh Atid party, dealt a setback to Netanyahu.

Yesh Atid's leader, Yair Lapid, has said he would only join a government committed to sweeping economic changes and a serious push to resume peace talks with the Palestinians, which have languished throughout Netanyahu's four-year tenure.

The results were not official, and the final bloc breakdowns could shift before the election committee finishes its tally early on Thursday.

With the blocs so evenly divided, there remains a remote possibility Netanyahu would not form the next government, even though both he and Lapid have called for the creation of a broad coalition.

Under Israel's parliamentary system, voters cast ballots for parties, not individual candidates. Because no party throughout Israel's 64-year history has ever won an outright majority of parliamentary seats, the country has always been governed by coalitions.

Traditionally, the party that wins the largest number of seats is given the first chance to form a governing alliance in negotiations centring on promising cabinet posts and policy concessions.

If those negotiations are successful, the leader of that party becomes prime minister. If not, the task falls to a smaller faction.

President Shimon Peres has until mid-February to set that process in motion, though he could begin earlier.

Netanyahu's Likud-Yisrael Beitenu alliance polled strongest in Tuesday's election, winning 31 parliamentary seats. But that is 11 fewer than the 42 it held in the outgoing parliament and below the forecasts of 32 to 37 in recent polls.

Yesh Atid had been projected to capture about a dozen seats but won 19, making it the second largest in the legislature.

Addressing his supporters early on Wednesday, when an earlier vote count gave his bloc a shaky, one-seat parliamentary margin, Netanyahu vowed to form as broad a coalition as possible.

He said the next government would be built on principles including reforming the contentious system of granting military draft exemptions to ultra-Orthodox Jewish men and the "responsible" pursuit of a "genuine peace" with the Palestinians. He did not elaborate, but the message seemed aimed at Lapid.

Netanyahu called Lapid early on Wednesday and offered to work together.

"We have the opportunity to do great things together," Likud quoted the prime minister as saying.

Lapid also called for the formation of a broad government.

The election results surprised Israelis, given the steady stream of recent opinion polls forecasting a solid hard-line majority and a weaker showing by centrists.

Lapid said the election outcome reflected a longing for unity in a country beset by schisms.

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India warns of nuclear threat to Kashmir

OFFICIALS in India-controlled Kashmir are warning people to build bomb-proof basements, store enough food and water for two weeks and be prepared for a possible nuclear war.

There was no official reason given for the sudden concern about a nuclear attack in the region, repeatedly fought over by nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan.

However, a series of deadly skirmishes along a cease-fire line in recent weeks has heightened tensions between the two countries.

Kashmir police published the advisory on Monday in the Greater Kashmir newspaper.

The notice advised people to build bomb shelters with toilets and to stockpile food. It also provided advice on how to survive attacks with chemical and biological weapons.

Local authorities did not answer calls for comment.

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DSE closes some state parks and forests

A NUMBER of national parks and state forests have been closed in Victoria's northeast after 37 bushwalkers had to be airlifted out because of bushfires.

Hikers bushwalking at Mt Feathertop were flown out by helicopter after a fire northeast of Harrietville reignited on Tuesday.

An Emergency Alert has been sent to 660 residents and visitors in and around the area.

On Tuesday night the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and Parks Victoria closed national parks and state forests around Mount Feathertop and Mount Beauty because of a fire burning in the area.

DSE Agency Commander David Nugent said for the safety of the public the parks have been closed until further notice.

He said people who had planned to visit the area over the Australia Day long weekend will need to rearrange their travel plans.

The fire is burning 4km northeast of Harrietville and with hot, dry and windy conditions this week, it is expected to continue to burn for some time.

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France and Germany celebrate friendship

The leaders of Germany and France have celebrated 50 years of post-war reconciliation in Berlin. Source: AAP

FRANCE and Germany are marking 50 years since a landmark treaty sealed their post-war reconciliation with a day of pomp, symbolism and celebration.

French President Francois Hollande has travelled to the snowy German capital to join Chancellor Angela Merkel to celebrate the Elysee Treaty, inked in 1963, which heralded a new era of friendship between the former foes.

Eighteen years after the end of World War II, then French president Charles de Gaulle and West German chancellor Konrad Adenauer formalised on January 22 the co-operation that has since been a building block of European unity.

But the half-century milestone comes amid strains in the Franco-German partnership and as the European Union faces testing times over the eurozone debt crisis and euroscepticism in Britain.

France and Germany's foreign ministers jointly insisted in a German newspaper that Europe was "not the problem, but it must be the solution" and urged a modernisation of the "European reflex" of former generations.

"We want to counter the danger of an erosion within the EU," Laurent Fabius and Guido Westerwelle wrote in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily.

"The drift towards populism and nationalism has grown alarmingly in the course of the European debt crisis. We are making a stand with a German-French commitment to Europe," they said.

Kicking off a hectic line-up of events, Merkel joined Hollande at the French embassy in Berlin for a meeting with figures from both countries' cultural scenes.

"I am a child of this friendship (between France and Germany) ... my first car was a 2CV and I studied in Paris," German film director Wim Wenders said on arrival, referring to an old Citroen model.

"There's a certain indifference (today) but that doesn't surprise me after 50 years of marriage," he added.

Michel Hazanavicius, the director of The Artist, was among French representatives.

Later a joint session of both countries' cabinets is due to take place, while about 400 French politicians will travel to Berlin to join their Bundestag counterparts for a debate in the Reichstag.

The day wraps up with a concert at the Berlin Philharmonic hall, including music by Beethoven and French composer Camille Saint-Saens.

Shortly after Hollande arrived in Berlin, he and Merkel sought to present a unified front during a televised debate with about 200 German and French youth.

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Five seriously hurt in Austria train crash

TWO packed commuter trains have collided head-on in the morning rush-hour traffic in Vienna, leaving five people seriously hurt.

"At the moment there are five people seriously injured and several people with light injuries," emergency services spokeswoman Claudia Gigler told AFP on Monday.

The Austrian automobile association said one person was trapped inside the wreckage.

Many passengers were suffering from shock.

Gigler said the cause of the crash was not known.

Austrian Railways spokeswoman Sarah Nettel said that the crash occurred at 8.45am (1845 AEDT) in the Penzing district of western Vienna.

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US ship ignored reef warnings: Philippines

A PHILIPPINES official has accused a US Navy minesweeper of ignoring warnings to stay away before it became stuck on a World Heritage-listed coral reef.

The accusation on Monday by the superintendent of Tubbataha marine park, Angelique Songco, added to growing anger in the Philippines over the incident.

The US Navy has apologised but may still face fines.

Park rangers radioed the USS Guardian to say it was nearing the Tubbataha Reef on Thursday, but the captain insisted they raise their complaint with the US embassy, Songco told reporters.

She said shortly after the warning, the 68-metre vessel became stuck on part of Tubbataha Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Sulu Sea about 130 kilometres southeast of the western island of Palawan.

The site is protected by Philippine law, and is off limits to navigation, except for research or tourism approved by Songco's office.

Songco said it was too early to assess the damage to the coral.

The vessel was still stuck on the reef and being battered by big waves.

The commander of the US Navy's 7th Fleet, Vice Admiral Scott Swift, apologised in a statement from Japan on Sunday.

"As a protector of the sea and a sailor myself, I greatly regret any damage to this incident has caused to the Tubbataha Reef," Swift said.

He acknowledged that protecting the reef was vital, and that the navy took its obligations to preserve marine environment seriously.

He said the crew members had left the vessel, and there were no traces of any oil leaks.

The Philippine Navy said three of its ships had been put on standby near the area to assist in efforts to remove the Guardian from the reef. Two civilian tugboats had been contracted by the Americans.

The Guardian had been en route to Indonesia after visiting a Philippine port north of Manila when the incident occurred, according to the US Navy.

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NATO joins fight against Taliban squad

NATO troops have helped liberate a Kabul police building from a Taliban suicide squad.

Three police officers died in the attack, which lasted eight hours on Monday.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the longest stand-off between the insurgents and security forces in Kabul since a major co-ordinated raid on the capital lasted 18 hours in April 2012.

Three of the five attackers were killed in the early part of the assault while two others wearing suicide vests holed up in the five-storey police building in west Kabul fired on security forces, a police officer told AFP.

They were later also killed.

"It's over. The last two terrorists are dead and they were not even given the chance to detonate their suicide vests," Kabul police chief General Mohammad Ayoub Salangi told AFP.

The reason it took so long to overpower the last two men was "because our boys acted very carefully," he said. "There were lots of important documents so we acted very carefully to not cause any damage to those documents."

Four traffic police, two members of the special forces and half a dozen civilians were wounded, deputy interior minister General Abdul Rahman said.

An AFP photographer said Norwegian soldiers were seen firing at the police building.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed its participation in the operation but insisted it was small.

"We do have a very small number of people assisting the Afghan security forces officials at the scene. It's primarily an advising role and absolutely the Afghan officials are in the lead," an ISAF spokesman told AFP.

NATO says the Taliban insurgency has been weakened and characterised the attack as a ploy to attract media attention, but the time it took to mop up the insurgents will be seen as an embarrassment.

"They (the Taliban) are losing the fight," said General Gunter Katz, ISAF military spokesman.

"They cannot fight face to face. These attacks are only to attract media. They carry out their attacks in the cities and crowded areas where civilians suffer."

He praised the role of the Afghan security forces in countering the attack.

The assault began with a massive car-bomb explosion that shattered the windows of nearby homes.

A local resident described the initial explosion as "very very big - it was massive". It was followed by several other explosions and gunfire.

Taliban insurgents, who are waging an 11-year war against the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai, claimed credit for the attack, which it said began at 5:00 am (2330 AEDT Sunday).

"A large number of fedayeen (suicide bombers) entered a building in Dehmazang and are attacking an American training centre, a police centre and other military centres and have caused heavy casualties on the enemy," a Taliban spokesman said.

There is no US or NATO-run training facility in the area and the Taliban are known to exaggerate when claiming attacks.

Monday's attack came less than a week after a squad of suicide bombers attacked the Afghan intelligence agency headquarters in Kabul, killing at least one guard and wounding dozens of civilians.

All six attackers were killed in the brazen attack on the National Directorate of Security (NDS), also claimed by the Taliban.

Afghan police and other security forces are increasingly targets of Taliban attacks as they take a bigger role in the battle against the insurgents before NATO withdraws the bulk of its 100,000 combat troops by the end of 2014.

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Dotcom re-enacts raid for launch party

A HELICOPTER fly-by, men dressed as armed New Zealand police officers, and dancers and singers have all heralded the launch of Kim Dotcom's new "legal" website, Mega.

The new cloud storage website went live at 6.48am on Sunday, about the same time as the dramatic police raid on his Coatesville mansion got underway a year ago. He and three others were arrested on that occasion.

To celebrate the new website's launch, Dotcom hosted about 200 invited guests and media at a party and press conference at the mansion, north of Auckland.

Dotcom, speaking from a stage constructed on the forecourt of his home, told the crowd more than one million people had visited Mega within 14 hours of the site's launch and about 500,000 people had registered as users.

"The launch of Mega is not about mocking any government of Hollywood, it is about our right to innovate and start a new business," he said.

"What we are offering is a smarter, faster and more secure way of cloud storage and we are fully assured by our legal team that we are in compliance with the law."

The press conference, which was also streamed online, included a reenactment of the police raid, with men repelling down the sides of the house and a helicopter, with FBI emblazoned on the side, flying over the crowd.

Dotcom paid tribute to the support he's received from Kiwis in the year since his arrest on copyright infringement, racketeering and money laundering charges related to the file-sharing site Megaupload.

"During the past year we had great support from New Zealanders; you have reached out to us and your voices have empowered us," he said.

Dotcom and his co-accused are still awaiting a court hearing to determine whether they will be extradited to the United States.

The extradition hearing, which has been delayed several times, is expected to take four weeks and is set down for August.

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Vic residents return to bushfire-hit homes

Victorian residents have returned to their bushfire-ravaged homes as fire crews backburn. Source: AAP

RESIDENTS have returned to their bushfire-damaged homes in Victoria's east, as authorities battle to bring a massive blaze under control before more predicted hot weather.

Firefighters took advantage of Sunday's cooler weather to strategically backburn amid fears towns could again be threatened on Thursday.

The massive 56,000-hectare blaze has already killed one man who was found in a burnt-out car and destroyed at least 21 homes since it began in the Baw Baw National Park last Thursday.

There are fears the fire may have been deliberately lit.

Residents in Seaton, Glenmaggie and Glenmaggie Point have returned home.

Glenmaggie resident Peter Monds, a CFA member, was manning phones at a control centre when his home was destroyed.

Inside his uninsured home were many photos and memories.

"There's no good crying about it," he told the Nine Network.

"It's gone, it's gone."

Authorities say 21 houses, 35 sheds and 11 vehicles have been lost in the fire and the fire could go for two weeks.

The fire was threatening the small hamlet of Licola, but it has been held about 15km from the town.

Firefighters began a 180 hectare backburn about 10am (AEDT) on Sunday.

Incident Controller Michael Masters said the CFA and DSE were doing a joint backburn due to the likelihood of a very high fire weather day predicted for Thursday.

"The risk of high temperatures and a north westerly wind poses a very significant risk to the Aberfeldy-Donnely bushfire breaking containment lines if we don't backburn today," he said in a statement.

Mr Masters said the 180 hectare backburn would reduce fuel loads in an unburnt area 5km south of Glenmaggie and 6km northwest of Heyfield.

Fire crews are also working on the eastern perimeter in the Coongulla state forest north east of Glenmaggie to strengthen containment lines.

Police are appealing for people to come forward if they witnessed anything suspicious in the hours before the blaze started at Aberfeldy in Gippsland about 11.30am on Thursday.

They particularly want to speak to anyone who was camping in the Donnelly Creek Road area on Thursday morning or local residents.

Smoke from the bushfires reached Melbourne on Sunday and could be smelt in the CBD air.

Authorities have urged the public to ensure there is actually a bushfire in their area before reporting it to Triple-0.

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Missing sought after deadly end to Algeria

GOVERNMENTS are scrambling to track down missing nationals after the bloody end to a gas plant siege in the Sahara that saw Islamists kill at least 23 foreigners and Algerians, with Algiers fearing the toll may rise.

"I fear that it may be revised upward," Communications Minister Mohamed Said told public Channel 3 radio of the number of dead a day after special forces stormed the remote facility to end a crisis that saw seven foreigners killed by their captors in the final moments.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a statement on Sunday he had spoken to his Algerian counterpart Abdelmalek Sellal, "and it is now clear that this appalling terrorist incident in Algeria is now over.

"Tragically, we now know that three British nationals have been killed, and a further three are believed to be dead. And also a further British resident is also believed to be dead."

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Saturday a Colombian man who lived in London with his family had been killed. He was named as BP employee Carlos Estrada.

Japanese engineering firm JGC Corp said 10 of its Japanese and seven of its foreign workers remained unaccounted for.

JGC confirmed the safety of 61 of its 78 workers at the In Amenas facility stormed at dawn on Wednesday by militants from "Signatories in Blood," a group demanding an end to French military intervention in Mali.

"But the safety of the remaining 10 Japanese and seven foreign workers is yet to be confirmed," a JGC spokesman said in Tokyo.

Kuala Lumpur said JGC had told it one of two Malaysians still unaccounted for is dead whilst the fate of the other was unknown.

Norway's Statoil, which operates the gas plant alongside Britain's BP and Sonatrach of Algeria, said the situation remains "unresolved" for five Statoil employees.

"We will, and we must, keep hoping for more positive news from Algeria. However, we must be prepared to deal with bad news in the next few days," Statoil CEO Helge Lund said.

Thirty-two kidnappers were also killed in the 72-hour stand-off, and the army freed "685 Algerian workers and 107 foreigners", Algeria's interior ministry said on Saturday.

Among the dead were an unknown number of foreigners.

Relatives of Kenneth Whiteside, 59, from Glenrothes in Scotland, were "devastated" after hearing an Algerian co-worker claimed to have seen him being shot but dying bravely with a smile, Britain's Mail on Sunday reported.

The mother of survivor Stephen McFaul, 36, from Belfast, told the Sunday Mirror her son will "have nightmares for the rest of his life after the things he saw".

Forced to wear explosives, he fled when the hostage-takers' convoy he was in came under fire on Thursday.

In Saturday's final assault, "the Algerian army took out 11 terrorists, and the terrorist group killed seven foreign hostages", state television said without giving a breakdown.

A security official told AFP it was believed the foreigners were executed "in retaliation".

The militants, whose leader is Algerian Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a former Al-Qaeda commander, first killed a Briton and an Algerian on a bus on Wednesday before taking hundreds of workers hostage when they overran the gas plant.

Most of the hostages were freed on Thursday when Algerian forces launched a first rescue operation which was widely condemned as hasty.

But US President Barack Obama and his French counterpart Francois Hollande said responsibility for the deaths lay with the "terrorists".

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