Two dead, three critical in road crashes

TWO people are dead and three are fighting for their lives following separate crashes in NSW.

A woman in her 20s died during a single-car crash near Dorrigo in northern NSW just before 2pm (AEDT) on Saturday.

The driver, a woman in her late 40s, and another woman in her late 20s, were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Two girls and a boy, all aged under 10, were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police said the vehicle was heading east along the Waterfall Way, when it left the road and rolled down an embankment.

In another crash, one male passenger died and three others from the same vehicle including the driver were critically injured in a two-car crash in Sydney's southwest.

The vehicles collided on Douglas Park Drive in Douglas Park about 6.20pm (AEDT).

The three critically injured men were airlifted to Liverpool Hospital.

A man from the second car was taken by road to Liverpool Hospital with serious injuries.

Three other men from the second car suffered minor injuries.

The road remains closed in both directions while the scene is examined.

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Pistorius was an avid gun collector

IN his Olympic year, Oscar Pistorius steadily became an avid firearms collector, joining a gun-collecting club and purchasing a collection of firearms that included a .500 Magnum pistol dubbed by its manufacturer as "the most powerful production revolver in the world" and a civilian version of a military assault rifle.

At the end of 2012, in the first blush of his romance with Reeva Steenkamp, the model he later shot and killed on Valentine's Day, Pistorius got deeper into his hobby.

It was known that Pistorius liked guns but only now, from Associated Press interviews with other collectors, is it becoming clear the extent to which he became a dedicated firearms aficionado in the 12 months before the Steenkamp tragedy.

The track star not only applied for licences to own more guns, but actually bought them, too, according to John Beare, vice chairman of the Lowveld Firearm Collectors Association which accepted Pistorius as a paid-up member last April.

He and Pistorius were introduced at a Johannesburg hotel in January 2012, and it was there that Beare first explained to the athlete and some of his friends how to become certified collectors.

Had he not become a collector, Pistorius would under South African law have been limited to a maximum of four firearms for self-defence, of which only two could have been handguns, according to Johannesburg attorney Martin Hood, who specialises in firearms law.

Carvel Webb, chairman of the National Arms and Ammunition Collectors Confederation of South Africa, an umbrella group for the country's 2,000 approved private collectors including Pistorius, said that in the wake of Steenkamp's death his group will now verify that Pistorius fulfilled the necessary requirements to be accepted as a collector and a decision in January to let him start collecting semi-automatic rifles.

"We will review all of those just to see if we are happy with it," Webb said.

Pistorius made no secret of his passion for firearms. Reporters who visited him at home in Pretoria, the capital, saw the pistol he kept by his bed and was licensed to own. He practiced at firing ranges both in South Africa and in Europe where he trained for the London Games. But apparently less well-known was his involvement with gun collectors to start building a firearms collection.

Beare said he twice observed Pistorius shoot at firing ranges and also at a clay pigeon shoot, but saw nothing to suggest he could be a menace with a gun.

"His safety was good," Beare told the AP. "He wouldn't do anything irrational with a firearm, because then I would have nailed him immediately."

Pistorius says he mistook his girlfriend Steenkamp for a home intruder and shot her while she was in his bathroom toilet, firing through the closed door.

Pistorius' license for the 9 mm pistol was issued on September 10, 2010, according to the South African Police Service's National Firearms Centre. It was registered for self-defence.

Prosecutors have charged Pistorius with premeditated murder for killing Steenkamp with three of four shots fired in the early hours of February 14.

Some have questioned why Pistorius felt he needed such a variety of weapons and whether the association should have certified him.

Andre Pretorius, president of the Professional Firearm Trainers Council, a regulatory body for South African firearms instructors, said he struggles to see how pistols, shotguns and a semi-automatic rifle could be regarded as a coherent collection.

"The makes differ, the models differ and generally a collection needs to have a theme," said Pretorius. "I don't see there's a theme here."

But Webb, of the collectors' confederation, disagreed.

"There was a logic," Webb told the AP. "He's got three approved areas of interest."

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Aust troops 'kill two Afghan children'

AUSTRALIAN soldiers in southern Afghanistan shot dead two children tending cattle, local officials said on Saturday as the international coalition launched an inquiry into the incident.

Civilian casualties caused by NATO-led troops have been one of the most contentious issues in the campaign against Taliban insurgents, fuelling public anger and often triggering criticism from President Hamid Karzai.

The two children, aged seven and eight, were killed on Thursday morning as Australian soldiers fought back after a Taliban attack in southern Uruzgan province, said provincial governor Amir Mohammad Akhundzada.

"The children were killed by Australian troops, it was a mistaken incident, not a deliberate one," Akhundzada told AFP, adding that insurgents had first shot at a helicopter carrying Australian soldiers.

A spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul said he was unable to confirm details.

"We are aware of the reports and we take all such reports very seriously," he said.

"An incident assessment team in Uruzgan is now there looking into it."

In a recent case of civilian deaths, on 13 February, 10 Afghan civilians, including five children, were killed by a NATO airstrike in Kunar province.

Following the attack, Karzai barred Afghan forces from seeking air support from foreign troops in a bid to curb civilian casualties.

Security responsibility for Uruzgan, a restive province where the Taliban insurgents have been holding sway, is being handed over to Afghan forces.

The bulk of Australia's 1,550 troops are based in the province, and are focused on training and mentoring Afghan soldiers ahead of the withdrawal of NATO combat troops by the end of next year.

Comment is being sought from Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

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Gonski appointed to SingTel board

FUTURE Fund chairman David Gonski has been appointed to the board of Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel).

SingTel is the parent of Australian telco Optus.

The announcement of the appointment of the prominent Sydney-based businessman and philanthropist was made in a statement after the close of share market trading on Friday evening.

SingTel is dual Singapore-Australian stock exchange listed company.

The 59-year-old Mr Gonski is also a non-executive director of Singapore Airlines, as well as chairman of Coca-Cola Amatil in Australia.

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Prof welcomes overturned murder conviction

A 30-YEAR-OLD murder conviction has been overturned by Western Australia's Court of Appeal on the back of Nobel Prize-winning ulcer research by Perth-based scientist Barry Marshall.

Chris von Deutschburg was a teenager in 1983 when convicted of murdering Stavros Kakulas in a scuffle during a burglary at the 86-year-old man's home in Perth's seaside suburb of Scarborough.

Mr von Deutschburg, then 19, received a life sentence on the basis Mr Kakulas died of a bleeding duodenal ulcer seven days after the crime.

The ulcer was said to have been brought on by the stress of the home invasion.

Professor Marshall and his colleague Robin Warren won Nobel Prizes in 2005 for proving bacteria, rather than stress, caused stomach ulcers.

Prof Marshall told AAP he had been involved in the case from the beginning, when he had already conceived his award-winning theory, but was yet to prove it.

"There were just a couple of people on our side and everyone else just believed this traditional theory," he said.

In proving his theory, Prof Marshall acted as a human guinea pig, downing a bacterial brew that made him very ill, but gave new hope of treatment for millions of sufferers.

Once the research gained worldwide attention, Mr von Deutschburg, who spent seven years in prison before being paroled in 1990, looked to Prof Marshall's work as a way to clear him of his murder conviction.

The scientist got behind him, writing to the State Solicitor's Office saying Mr von Deutschburg could not be guilty, prompting former state attorney-general Christian Porter to refer the case to WA's Court of Appeal.

On Friday, Justices Carmel McLure, Robert Mazza and Michael Buss announced their unanimous decision, saying the basis of the conviction had been overtaken by the groundbreaking discovery by Prof Marshall and Mr Warren.

The judges said Mr Kakulas's duodenal ulcer was likely to have existed before the home invasion in June 1983.

Evidence provided by Prof Marshall, and also by PathWest Laboratory Medicine chief forensic pathologist Clive Cooke, raised enough doubt in the judges' minds to make them conclude Mr von Deutschburg should not have been convicted of murder.

"If the jury had heard Professor Marshall's and Dr Cooke's evidence, in addition to the evidence adduced at trial, it must be necessarily have entertained a doubt about the appellant's guilt," the judgment read.

"A miscarriage of justice occurred at the trial."

In his petition on behalf of Mr von Deutschburg, Prof Marshall said there was no likelihood that Mr Kakulas's injuries either worsened or contributed to the duodenal ulcer.

On Friday, Prof Marshall said the case was one for the law books.

"This is really a landmark case ... a milestone if you like," he said.

It was important for Mr von Deutschburg to clear his name, he said.

"To have a conviction at a young age ... that affects your career and your job prospects for the rest of your life.

"These things are very important and maybe you can't just be a bit irresponsible in your youth in case something does happen like that.

"It affects you for a long time."

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US sailors jailed for Okinawa rape

TWO US sailors who raped a Japanese woman in Okinawa last October were jailed on Friday for a crime that reignited long-smouldering anger against the American military in Japan.

The Naha District Court in Okinawa said Seaman Christopher Browning, 24, should go to prison for 10 years for the brutal rape of the young woman, from whom he also stole 7,000 yen ($A73).

Petty officer 3rd class Skyler Dozierwalker, 23, was jailed for nine years, also for raping the woman before dawn in a car park.

Browning and Dozierwalker, who were not stationed in Okinawa, had been drinking on the evening of the attack, and "were contemptible and violent", Judge Hideyuki Suzuki said.

"The ruling may seem severe, but the damage to the feelings of the victim and residents is more severe," he said in a statement after the case, according to Kyodo News.

During an earlier court appearance the two men had admitted the rape, which caused outrage on the sub-tropical islands and beyond, and led to a nationwide night-time curfew on all US military personnel in Japan.

Despite the curfew, misconduct involving servicemen, much of it drunken, has continued to fuel anti-US sentiment in communities with bases.

Wary of yet another public relations disaster, the US moved quickly to try to lower the temperature immediately after the rape, with ambassador John Roos holding a special news conference at which he appeared visibly angry and upset.

"The United States will cooperate in every way possible with the Japanese authorities to address this terrible situation."

"I understand the anger that many people feel with respect to this reported incident," he said. "I have a 25-year-old daughter myself, so this is very personal to me."

The attack came amid already high tensions in Okinawa, which saw demonstrations last year against the US deployment to the island of the tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft.

The aircraft's perceived poor safety record has been picked over in Japanese media and by local opponents, but commentators say it is a proxy issue and resentment over what many see as an unfair burden is at the root of objections.

Okinawa is the reluctant host to more than half of the 47,000 American service personnel in Japan, and the crimes, noise and risk of accidents associated with their bases regularly provoke ire in the local community.

In 1995 the gang rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan girl by US servicemen sparked mass protests resulting in a US-Japan agreement to reduce the huge US military presence on the Okinawan chain.

Okinawans say other parts of Japan should take more of the burden and want bases closed or reduced in size.

But with islands stretching out from mainland Japan to Taiwan that obscure rising China's access to the Pacific, Okinawa is too strategically important for either Washington or Tokyo to be able to countenance a large-scale drawdown.

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Spain's Bankia posts $A24.57bn loss

Bailed-out Spanish banking giant Bankia suffered a loss of $A24.57 billion in 2012. Source: AAP

BAILED-OUT Spanish banking giant Bankia suffered a loss of 19 billion euros ($A24.57 billion) in 2012, it said in an earnings statement.

Bankia, which has become a symbol of Spain's banking collapse, said the losses were in line with its expectations after the Spanish government nationalised it in May.

In December it received 18 billion euros in eurozone aid to restructure it.

Bankia's chairman Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri said that despite the net losses of 19.193 billion euros the bank's financial situation was in line with its aims.

"We have a very solvent balance sheet. We are a tremendously solvent and solid entity," he told a news conference.

The European Commission approved the payment of 18 billion euros to rescue Bankia, obliging it to restructure by closing branches and cutting jobs.

The bank has announced it will close a third of its branches. Unions say the restructuring will lead to 4,500 job cuts.

A long recession brought on by the collapse of a building boom in 2008 left Bankia saddled with unpaid loans.

In Thursday's earnings report BFA-Bankia, the financial group that includes the troubled lender, said it made provisions of 26.8 billion euros in 2012.

It offloaded 22.3 billion euros' worth of bad property-linked assets to a "bad bank" set up to purge the bad loans of Spain's banks. Of this figure, 19.5 billion were from Bankia.

After the government stepped in to rescue Bankia by nationalising it, Spain then had to seek a broader bailout for its whole banking sector from the eurozone.

The recession has driven Spain's unemployment rate to 26 per cent.

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Bangladesh Islamist sentenced to death

A SPECIAL Bangladeshi court sentenced a senior Islamist opposition official to death for crimes including murder, rape and religious persecution during the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.

Delwar Hossain Sayedee, the vice-president of the Jamaat-e-Islami party and a fiery Islamic preacher, is the third person to be found guilty by the International Crimes Tribunal, a much-criticised domestic court based in Dhaka.

"He has been sentenced to death. It's a victory for the people," said prosecutor Syed Haider Ali, adding Sayedee was found guilty of eight charges including murder, arson, rape and forceful conversion of Hindus to Islam.

"The nation is now free of stigma," he said, adding the verdict would bring justice to the people who lost hundreds of thousands of their relatives at the hands of pro-Pakistani militias which included Sayedee and other Jamaat leaders.

Sayedee who was in the packed court amid huge security protested the judgement saying it was influenced by "atheists" and pro-government protesters, thousands of whom have been demanding his execution and that of other war criminals for weeks.

Protesters at a central Dhaka intersection erupted in cheers as news of Sayedee's sentence filtered through.

There was no immediate reaction from Jamaat to the verdict, but the party has enforced a nationwide strike demanding a halt to what it dismisses as politically motivated trials of its entire leadership.

Police fired live rounds at scores of Jamaat protesters Thursday morning, leaving five people injured, deputy commissioner of Dhaka police Biplob Sarker told AFP, adding they reacted after the Islamists attacked them.

Security was tight in the Bangladeshi capital on Thursday, with around 10,000 policemen on patrol.

Earlier this month the tribunal, a local court with no international oversight, sentenced Jamaat's assistant secretary general Abdul Quader Molla to life imprisonment, sparking protests by Islamists that left 16 people dead.

The verdict also enraged secular protesters and bloggers, tens of thousands of whom have since poured onto the Shahbag intersection in central Dhaka to reject the "lighter sentence" and demand the execution of Jamaat leaders.

In January the tribunal handed down its first verdict when it sentenced fugitive Muslim TV preacher Maolana Abul Kalam Azad to death.

The tribunal has been tainted by controversies and allegations it is targeting only the opposition with trumped-up charges.

Rights groups say its legal procedures fall short of international standards.

The government rejects the accusations, saying the trials are needed to heal the wounds of the war that it says killed three million people.

It accuses Jamaat leaders of being part of pro-Pakistani militias blamed for much of the 1971 carnage.

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Spain's recession deepens

SPAIN'S economy sank deeper into recession in the fourth quarter of last year as high unemployment and biting austerity measures prompted households to slash spending, official data showed Thursday.

The eurozone's fourth largest economy shrank by 1.4 percent on an annual basis in 2012, a slightly better performance than the decline of 1.5 percent forecast by the government.

The economy shrank 0.8 percent in the final quarter of 2012 from the previous three months, after dropping 0.3 percent in the third quarter, the national statistics institute said.

The figures were slightly bleaker than preliminary data released last month by the statistics institute which saw the economy contracting by 0.7 percent in the final quarter on a quarterly basis and by 1.37 percent for the entire year.

Spain is grappling with a double-dip recession and 26 percent unemployment, having never recovered from a real estate crash in 2008.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government forecasts the economy will return to growth in the second half of 2013.

It forecasts an economic contraction of 0.5 percent in 2013 followed by an expansion of 1.2 percent in 2014, a significantly more optimistic forecast than that of most analysts and international organisations.

Activity is being cramped by his government's programme of spending cuts and tax rises, aimed at saving 150 billion euros ($194 billion) between 2012 and 2014, which have prompted mass street protests.

The Spanish economy appeared to continue its contraction in the first quarter of 2013 due to sluggish domestic demand, the Bank of Spain said Wednesday in its latest monthly economic bulletin.

The government has vowed to lower the public deficit from the equivalent of 9.4 percent of annual gross domestic product last year to 2.8 percent in 2014.

Analysts say those targets will be hard to reach in a period of declining economic activity.

Rajoy on Wednesday announced that Spain missed the budget deficit target agreed with the European Commission as the shortfall reached 6.7 percent of GDP in 2012, compared with a target of 6.3 percent.

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Taliban suicide bomber targets Kabul army

Six people have been wounded in a suicide bomb attack on a Afghan military bus in Kabul. Source: AAP

A TALIBAN suicide bomber has attacked a bus carrying Afghan army personnel in Kabul, wounding 10 people and highlighting a growing trend of strikes on Afghan rather than NATO military targets.

The bomber struck on a main street in the heavily secured Afghan capital, where the Taliban have already claimed responsibility for suicide attacks on the intelligence and traffic police headquarters this year.

Western officials say the trend reflects a shift in strategy, away from focusing on the US-led NATO combat mission, which is due to withdraw next year, to targeting Afghan forces preparing to take over.

"At around 7.10am (1340 AEDT), a suicide attacker on foot targeted a military bus in third district of Kabul city," said police spokesman Hashmatullah Stanikzai.

He said six members of the defence ministry and four civilians were wounded, revising upwards an initial toll of six wounded. Most of the civilian injuries were caused by shattered glass, he added.

A witness told the TOLO television channel the bomber was carrying an umbrella to shield himself from snow.

"I was standing across the street when I saw a man holding an umbrella approach the army bus. He then slid under the bus. I thought he was the driver, but moments later the explosion happened," he said.

A spokesman for the Taliban, which is leading an 11-year fight against the Western-backed government, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP that 17 personnel were killed and 17 others were seriously injured. The Taliban routinely exaggerate the tolls from attacks they claim.

Among the nine attacks recorded by AFP in Afghanistan so far this year, only one of them, on January 25, targeted NATO troops, in the troubled eastern province of Kapisa. Five civilians were killed in that attack.

All other attacks have targeted tribal elders, police or Afghan intelligence agents.

"Since the start of the year, the objective has mainly been Afghans, even if NATO remains a target," a Western security official told AFP.

The Pentagon admitted on Tuesday that NATO's International Security Assistance Force had wrongly reported a seven per cent decline in Taliban attacks last year, saying that the number was in fact roughly the same as in 2011.

"This is a regrettable error in our database systems that was discovered during a routine quality check. We are making the appropriate adjustments," Pentagon spokesman George Little said.

The US government and NATO have repeatedly touted a purported drop in insurgent attacks as proof that the Taliban are on the retreat. The error raised questions about how governments and commanders are portraying the war effort.

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We were sidelined in compo leaflet: unions

UNIONS have been deliberately sidelined in new leaflets prepared by WorkCover NSW, the state's peak union body says.

Unions NSW secretary Mark Lennon said it was concerning that a new fact sheet advising sick and injured workers on how to make compensation claims and resolve disputes made no mention of trade unions.

Similar documents had always done so in the past, Mr Lennon said.

"People should always be made aware of their rights to seek information from various sources, including from their union," he told AAP on Wednesday.

Mr Lennon said sick or injured workers were vulnerable and often needed assistance arguing their cases.

The new fact sheet comes after the state government last year passed wide-ranging WorkCover reforms designed to help rein in a deficit of more than $4 billion.

Benefits and medical expenses were capped and journey claims axed for many workers.

"I think this makes the situation even more difficult," Mr Lennon said.

WorkCover could not be reached for comment on Wednesday night.

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Pope talks of 'stormy waters' for church

POPE Benedict XVI has referred to "stormy waters and headwinds" during his pontificate on the eve of his historic resignation but said God would not let the Church "sink".

"The Lord gave us days of sun and of light breeze, days in which the fishing was good. There were also moments when there were stormy waters and headwinds," the pope told a crowd in St Peter's Square, drawing an analogy with a Biblical passage.

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Israel, US successfully test anti-missile

A JOINT exercise with US forces has successfully tested the Arrow anti-missile system for the first time, Israel's Defence Ministry says.

The system is meant to defend Israel from the threat of an Iranian strike.

The ministry said Monday's test was "a major milestone in the development of the Arrow 3 Weapon System."

The Arrow is produced jointly by Israel Aerospace Industries and Boeing.

It detects an incoming missile and destroys it with a second missile. Iran's Shahab ballistic missile can carry a nuclear warhead and has a range of 2000km, putting Israel well within range.

The Arrow is part of Israel's multi-layered shield designed to intercept rockets and missiles. Israel sees Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program as an existential threat.

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Horse meat found in Ikea's meatballs

HORSE meat has been detected in meat balls labelled as beef and pork imported to Czech Republic by furniture giant Ikea.

The Czech State Veterinary Administration says the one-kilogram packs of the frozen meat balls were made in Sweden to be sold in Ikea's furniture stores that also offer typical Swedish food.

A total of 760kg of the meat balls were stopped from reaching the shelves in the Czech Republic.

The authority said on Monday horse meat was also found in beef burgers imported from Poland.

Last week, the Czechs detected horse meat for the first time - in lasagna Bolognese made by frozen food processor Tavola S. A. Comigel and sold at Tesco.

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One dead, search for missing woman

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.

9pm: Lockyer Valley Regional Council has advised that flooding is expected in the Laidley Creek area tonight or early Tuesday morning.

They have advised people in low lying areas to self evacuate or go to Laidley State High School. Further information is available by calling 1300 005 872.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

More to come...

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.

Flooding in Hutcheson St in Albion. Picture: Adam Armstrong

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.

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".

Flooding in Hutcheson St in Albion. Picture: Adam Armstrong

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Flooding in Hutcheson St in Albion. Picture: Adam Armstrong

"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."

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.

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

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.

Flooding in Hutcheson St in Albion. Picture: Adam Armstrong

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

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Fire in Sydney store suspicious: police

POLICE say a fire in a home decorator store in Sydney's northwest was deliberately lit and are urging witnesses who may have seen suspicious activity to contact them.

Emergency services were called to Victoria Avenue in Castle Hill at about 11.30am (AEDT) on Sunday after a customer saw smoke and flames in the floor rug section of the store.

As staff evacuated the shop another employee put the blaze out with a fire extinguisher, confining damage to a stand of rugs.

Police believe the fire was deliberately lit and want shoppers who were evacuated from the store to contact them if they noticed someone acting suspiciously at the time of the fire.

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'Sex stimulant' found in Pistorius home

A SUBSTANCE found in star athlete Oscar Pistorius' home during a search by police investigating the killing of his girlfriend is a herbal sexual stimulant, a South African newspaper reported.

The prosecution said during Pistorius' bail hearing last week that police had found two boxes of "testosterone" and needles in his Pretoria home, but the defence countered that it was a legal herbal remedy known as testocompasutium coenzyme.

The City Press newspaper said on Sunday the remedy was a combination of vitamins, herbal cures partly derived from animal organs.

Sports physician Jon Patricios told the paper the product is used to boost sexual energy, but that athletes are not advised to use it since it may increase their testosterone levels.

"This is not an anabolic steroid and it is unlikely it will lead to irrational anger," he said.

The National Prosecuting Authority has said it was awaiting the results of forensic tests to determine what the product is.

"Blade Runner" Pistorius, 26, an Olympic and Paralymic hero, was freed on bail on Friday ahead of a trial on a murder charge over the Valentine's Day killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The International Paralympic Committee said the double amputee was tested twice during the London Paralympics in 2012 and tested negative.

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Darfur tribal fighting hampers aid: UN

THE UN expressed deep concern over the latest deadly tribal violence in Sudan's Darfur region, which has hampered assistance for tens of thousands of people forced to flee earlier fighting.

Residents in El Sireaf town said an Arab militia firing heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades burned houses and killed more than 50 people on Saturday.

"They came on Land Cruisers, used Dushkas and they burned 30 houses (and killed) 53 people," said one resident of the town, to which most of the 100,000 people displaced or severely affected by the earlier tribal fighting had fled.

Damian Rance of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Sunday said: "We are deeply concerned by the violence".

"It's affected our ability to run a humanitarian operation."

About 100,000 people had already been displaced or severely affected by battles since early January between the Rezeigat tribe and rival Arabs from the Beni Hussein group in the Jebel Amir gold mining area of North Darfur state.

People were displaced across a wide area but most ended up in El Sireaf town, where Saturday's fighting occurred.

Aid convoys are still moving in the surrounding area but "we don't have access to El Sireaf town" because of the fighting, Rance said.

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