Tag Archives: oceania

Shock video captures man jumping between rooftops in Melbourne CBD

Shocking footage has captured the reckless moment a man jumping between rooftops separated by a road in Melbourne CBD.

Video taken from a nearby building and sent to 3AW shows a man leaping between two rooftops over Flinders Lane on the weekend.

The man appears to only just make the significant distance between the two buildings.

READ MORE: Warning towns could be cut off for a week as thousands flee Victoria floods

Flinders Lane is believed to be about 10 metres wide.

A group of others can be seen watching on as the man attempts the shocking stunt.

Police have warned that "anyone who engages in this type of behaviour faces significant risk of injury or even death".

"They may also face charges of trespass among other offences," a police spokesperson has said.

Police have urged anyone who witnesses the type of behaviour to call Triple Zero.www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Men reunite with rescuer who saved them from shark-infested waters

Three boaters clung to a makeshift raft of ice chests and fended off shark attacks and jellyfish stings in the waters near Empire, Louisiana, until they were rescued 28 hours later, all thanks to a miraculous text message.

The three longtime friends set out on October 8 to fish red snapper like they had many times before.

But rough seas soon began disturbing their fishing boat, lapping water inside the vessel.

READ MORE: Warning towns could be cut off for a week as thousands flee Victoria floods

Coast Guard Lt. Katy Caraway reunites with survivors Phong Le, left, and Luan Nguyen.

"The minute we saw the back of the boat start taking on water, I knew it right then and there," Phong Le told NBC's "Today" show on Wednesday.

"It was like the perfect storm for the perfect accident."

The front of the boat was tied to an oil rig, but the waves worsened, crashing aboard the boat.

The men had about two minutes to react before their 7.3 metre centre console boat sank around 10 am, according to an interview with "Good Morning America."

A Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk hovers over their rescue swimmer during a rescue, approximately 25 miles offshore from Empire, Louisiana, on Oct. 9.

The men quickly created an improvised raft, tying two ice chests together with Le's bandana.

"Every time I go fishing, I wear a bandana because I lose a hat every time," Le said.

They tried to propel themselves toward the oil rig to call for help.

"Every oil rig has some kind of phone, or something on there, so we figured we could get on there and we could make a distress call," Le said.

But they never made it.

A shark attacks

As the sky grew dark, the three men clung to the coolers, the moon providing some comfort.

"Good thing there was full moon out because we had light," Luan Nguyen told NBC.

"We couldn't barely see anything, so we just drifted at night."

Until an unwelcome visitor arrived. A shark battered into Nguyen and a fight for survival ensued.

READ MORE: Russian warplane slams into unit block

It is believed the woman was attacked  y a 1.6 metre black-tip reef shark off the coast of Kealakekua Bay.

"The shark hit the life vest and I tried to push him off. He wouldn't go away, so I jabbed him in his eyes," Nguyen told NBC.

"I put my thumbs in his eyes and he took off. I got a little couple scars, but you know."

Other sea creatures made their presence known too, making things even harder for the floating men.

READ MORE: Aussies travelling in coming months warned

In this image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew treats three rescued boaters for injuries Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, approximately 25 miles offshore from Empire, La. Three men whose fishing boat sank in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast were rescued after surviving for more than a day despite being attacked by sharks that inflicted deep cuts on their hands and shredded one of their life jackets, according to their rescuers. In this image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, a Coast Guard Station New Orleans rescue swimmer escorts a rescued boater into University Medical Center New Orleans on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in New Orleans, La. Three men whose fishing boat sank in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast were rescued after surviving for more than a day despite being attacked by sharks that inflicted deep cuts on their hands and shredded one of their life jackets, according to their rescuers.

"Every 15 to 20 minutes, you were constantly being stung by jellyfish," Le told NBC.

"In the middle of the night, I woke up with this jellyfish this big just in my lap," Le added, motioning during the interview that the jellyfish was about as wide as he was.

The men stayed mostly silent through it all, bobbing in the water.

"It was very cold, so we were just trying to stay warm, just trying to hold each other and stay warm," Le said.

They were spotted from the air

Le separated from the group the next morning. He wanted to swim about eight kilometres to a shrimp boat and call for help, he told NBC.

But when he got about a kilometre out, the shrimper left, he said.

Trying to figure out his location, Le took out his cell phone, protected by a waterproof case – it had less than five per cent battery and was in airplane mode to save the charge.

"I opened up my phone and that's when all of a sudden, all of the text messages came in," Le said.

"The whole time I didn't have no signal but out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, I had a signal."

Le didn't waste time. He said he screen-grabbed his location on a map and texted it to a friend. The phone died soon afterward.

The friend received the message and contacted the Coast Guard with the boaters' location.

The men didn't know it, but before the miraculous text message went through, the Coast Guard was already on their way, Lieutenant Katy Caraway from Air Station New Orleans told CNN on Thursday.

READ MORE: Bizarre item washes up on Queensland beach

The three were pulled from the water and then winched onto a helicopter hovering above.

She was the co-pilot of a Jayhawk helicopter that helped rescue the men.

Five minutes into their flight, Caraway said they got the radio transmission that there was new information they could use in the search. It took them 25 minutes to get to the location sent in the text message.

After 15 to 20 minutes of searching the waters, a pilot from a Coast Guard airplane, cruising at an altitude of 300 metres spotted one of the men waving from the water, Caraway said.

"Le, he was the first survivor that we picked up and he was actually the one who got separated from the rest of his group because he had tried swimming to a shrimp boat to call for help," Caraway told CNN.

A rescue swimmer jumped from the helicopter and swam over to check on Le, Caraway said.

"He didn't talk much at all," she said. "He was completely exhausted."

Caraway moved into position, dropped the rescue basket and hoisted Le up to the helicopter.

The pair sustained injuries to their hands during the ordeal, which lasted more than 24 hours.

It was about that time that the helicopter crew heard that the other two boaters had been found nearly a kilometreaway, Caraway said.

They flew to the response boat to help.

Two boaters were rescued from sharks

Coast Guard Seaman Andrew Stone was on a 14-metre response boat when the call came in about the other two men, he said.

"They were getting harassed by sharks when we pulled up," Stone said.

Nguyen was bleeding into the water, his hands covered in bites from blacktip sharks, about a metre in length, Stone told CNN on Tuesday.

In this image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans aircrew member holds up a torn life jacket from a recent rescue off the coast of Empire, La., on Oct. 9, 2022. Three men whose fishing boat sank in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast were rescued after surviving for more than a day despite being attacked by sharks that inflicted deep cuts on their hands and shredded one of their life jackets, according to their rescuers.

"His orange life preserver had been ripped about halfway down by the fish," Stone said.

Stone pulled Nguyen onto the boat first.

"I just remember him picking me up, pulling me out of the water, was like 'wow, I made it,'" Nguyen told "Today" with tears in his eyes.

Petty Officers Joshua Mcanally and Cooper Butcher pulled the second man from the water, Stone said.

"These guys were suffering from pretty severe exposure. They were very dehydrated, hungry, of course," Stone said.

The boaters were also sunburned and suffering hypothermia when they were rescued Sunday, he said.

"The water temperature of the Gulf, where they were, (was) 78 degrees, which sounds warm, but anything below your body temperature will start robbing heat," Stone said.

The Coast Guard crews reunited the men pulled from the water with Le, who was already on the helicopter, he said.

The rescue 'takes the cake'

Members of the Coast Guard train for these kinds of events, but this rescue was anything but ordinary, Caraway said.

"People like this who have been in the water for a long time, who have been displaced from their vessel with no form of communication, it is almost impossible to find them and recover them," Caraway said.

"This takes the cake for the rescue."

"The likelihood of finding these individuals before the text message," Caraway added, "was slim to none. After the text message, it was still very slim."

A Coast Guard Station Venice boatcrew treats two boaters for shark bites and hypothermia.

In all, about 30 Coast Guard members were involved in the search effort.

"To bring these people home, it's something we train for every week and to do it textbook operationally and actually save three survivors … was just probably the best feeling that you can have as a Coast Guard operator," Caraway said.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans is planning a gathering for the survivors and all response units who were part of the rescue.

"I just look at it as doing my job," Caraway said.

"I'm just happy that they will be able to spend the rest of their lives with their families."

What are 'kamikaze' drones and how do they work?

They are precise, small in size, able to engage a target in relatively large numbers like a swarm of wasps and above all, they're cheap.

In Russia's invasion of Ukraine, drones have cemented their reputation as a potent, hard-to-stop and cost-effective weapon to seek out and destroy targets while simultaneously spreading the kind of terror that can fray the resolve of soldiers and civilians alike.

They're also quickly surpassing missiles as the remote weapon of choice because they can be put into any combat theatre in greater numbers much more cheaply.

READ MORE: 'Kamikaze' drones strike fear in Ukraine's capital, killing four

A drone flies in the sky seconds before it fired on buildings in Kyiv

Russia's unleashing of successive waves of the "kamikaze" Iranian-made Shahed drones over Ukraine has multiple goals — taking out key targets, crushing morale, and ultimately draining the enemy's war chest and weapons as they try to defend against them.

How do wartime drones work?

The Shahed drones that Russia has rebranded as Geran-2 are packed with explosives and are pre-programmed to loiter overhead until they nosedive into a target.

That's reminiscent of Japan's World War II-era kamikaze pilots who would fly their explosive-laden aircraft into US and other allied warships and aircraft carriers during the war in the Pacific.

According to the Ukrainian online publication Defence Express, which cites Iranian data, the delta-wing Shahed is 3.5m long, 2.5m wide and weighs approximately 200kg.

It's powered by a 50-horsepower engine with a top speed of 185km/h.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said the drone has already been deployed in Yemen and in a deadly oil tanker attack last year.

He said its range is about 1000km.

READ MORE: 'Rain, and lots of it' coming as multiple weather events set to hit

Russia has hit Ukraine with a wave of attacks, dive-bombing the capital, Kyiv, with what appear to be Iranian-made drones.

The new drone technology does not need trained personnel to be sacrificed nor a huge amount of money spent on building sophisticated aircraft to reach a target.

In Monday's attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, the city's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said 28 drones made up waves of successive attacks.

Fired from a truck launcher in rapid succession, the drones can fly low and slow, better able to avoid radar detection.

They can also swarm a target, overwhelming defences particularly in civilian areas.

But according to Mykola Bielieskov, a research fellow at Ukraine's National Institute for Strategic Studies, the Shahed only carries a 40kg explosive charge, which pales in comparison to the explosive force that a conventional missile's 480kg warhead can deliver at a much longer range.

"It is difficult to hit serious targets with such drones," Bielieskov said.

READ MORE: At least four dead after Russian fighter jet crashes into apartment block

Small punch but low cost

At a mere $US20,000 ($30,000) apiece, the Shahed is only a tiny fraction of the cost of a more conventional, full-size missile.

For example, Russia's Kalibr cruise missiles, which have seen widespread use in eight months of war, cost the Russian military about $US1 million ($1.6 million) each.

At such a low cost, the Shahed can be deployed in massive numbers to saturate a target, whether it's a fuel depot or infrastructure and utilities like power or water stations.

Despite its small size, the Shahed's explosive charge appears powerful enough to do damage.

In Monday's attacks, one drone struck an operations centre while another slammed into a five-storey residential building, ripping a large hole in it and collapsing at least three apartments, resulting in the deaths of three people.

READ MORE: Australian company's drone jammers helping Ukraine fight Russia

Critical infrastructure was hit in the Kyiv, Dnipro and Sumy regions, with electricity cut in hundreds of towns and villages

Bielieskov, from Ukraine's National Institute for Strategic Studies, said the Russian military is opting to use Shaheds on civilian targets instead of the battlefield because Ukrainian forces have "learned how to fight them effectively," managing to intercept a little more than half of them.

With no immediate end in sight, the financial burden of the conflict will weigh heavier on Moscow, which isn't receiving billions in weapons transfers from Western nations like Ukraine is.

As the conflict essentially becomes one of attrition — who can withstand that human, material and financial burden the longest — finding cheaper but still potent weapons will be key.

For Moscow, the Shahed appears to be such an alternative.

"Shahed-136 is a cheap version of a cruise missile, which Russia can't produce fast," said Bielieskov.

Taleblu said Russia will likely continue to boost its long-range strike capabilities with Iranian drones and reportedly even missiles.

"This should raise alarm bells for Europe and the world," he said.

Russian officials haven't issued any data about the number of missiles fired during the conflict, but Ukraine's defence minister recently alleged that Russia has used most of its high-precision missile arsenal — from 1844 on the eve of Russia's invasion to 609 by mid-October.

A war of nerves

The incessant buzzing of the propeller-driven Shahed drones — dubbed "mopeds" by Ukrainians — is equally potent for the terror it can induce in anyone under its flight path.

That sound exacerbates anxiety and chips away at morale, for no one on the ground knows exactly when or where the weapon will strike.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seized on the drones' terror element, posting on social media: "The whole night, and the whole morning, the enemy terrorises the civilian population."

"Kamikaze drones and missiles are attacking all of Ukraine," he added.

Bielieskov conceded that Shahed drone strikes stir up fears that Ukraine's air defences are inadequate to meet the threat.

But he said their use — even in large numbers — isn't enough to reverse Ukraine's battlefield gains.

Sky-borne terror weapons are nothing new — Nazi Germany employed them during World War II in the form of the V-1 flying bomb or "buzzbomb," the earliest type of cruise missile in the shape of a small aircraft that targeted British cities.

Eight decades later, the much smaller Shahed can be guided to its target at a much cheaper cost, potentially enabling Russian forces to launch many more drones than the 9500 "buzzbombs" that Nazi Germany unleashed on Britain.

'Rain, and lots of it' coming as weather events pass over nation

Australia is bracing for "rain and lots of it" as multiple weather system pass over the nation over the next seven days.

A low pressure system and a trough is currently building in Australia's centre, drawing in moisture.

Flood-hit communities across Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania are on edge as the low threaten to spill more heavy rain into already saturated catchments.

READ MORE: Warning towns could be cut off for a week as thousands flee floods

17/07/22 Wet weather hits Carlton on a particularly cold, wet and windy day. Photograph by Chris Hopkins

Heavy rain will start to fall over the eastern states from tomorrow.

"The map below shows what's in store for Australia this week. Rain, and lots of it, over a number of states and territories," Weatherzone said.

"This week's rain will be widespread and involve intense thunderstorm activity on numerous days.

"Thunderstorms will be particularly dangerous over Qld and NSW between Wednesday and Friday when daily severe storm activity is likely in both states."

READ MORE: At least four dead after Russian fighter jet crashes into apartment block

Forecast accumulated rain this week, according to the ECMWF-HRES model.

Sean Kearns from the NSW SES has urged people to stay up to date about evolving warnings in the next 24 to 28 hours.

About 3000 people just around Moama are currently under orders to prepare to evacuate. A total of 300 people at Moama have already been evacuated.

People have been urged to prepare their homes for flooding.

Western NSW communities such as Forbes, Warren, Wee Waa, Deniliquin, Bourke and Tilpa are a particular focus.

The SES has carried out six flood rescues in the past 24 hours, and people have been reminded once again to not drive through floodwaters.

Kearns said flooding could be expected for "the next several weeks", whether or not blue skies were above.

Jane Golding from the Bureau of Meteorology is speaking now on what NSW can expect in coming days.

READ MORE: UK Prime Minister Liz Truss under pressure after historic tax cut U-turn

The sun returns and a spot of tanning and paddling is the order of the day in South Shepparton, as the river could be in flood for a week.

Intense rain leading to flash flooding, thunderstoms, and hail are all on the cards for later this week, particularly west of the Great Dividing Range.

"Currently we have major flood warnings out for the Macquarie River, Warren is still experiencing major flooding as it has been for several weeks," Golding said.

"The Bogan River, three locations in particular along the Bogan are expected to experience major flooding.

"The Lachlan River, major flooding is expected."And the Murray, Edwards, Echuca, Moana, Barwon, again, that water is making its way down through the Murray. And the Barwon-Darling as well."

The ADF has been called in to help flood victims in NSW, Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke says.

READ MORE: How Victoria's floods crisis will affect the cost of living in Australia

Forecast daily rainfall during the next 7 days, according to the ECMWF-HRES model.

A total of 180 personnel will be sent into at-risk communities, particularly in the western regions of NSW.

The main focus for firefighters is on the Moama region, where the RFS has set up two base camps that will accommodate 550 people.

Senior meteorologist at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) Dean Narramore cast a cloud over the forecast, warning another system could start to develop from Sunday.

"Over the next week unfortunately we could see widespread 50-100mm falls through southern inland Queensland, all of inland NSW, northern Victoria and inland South Australia ," Narramore said.

"It's not good news for our many flood-affected areas."

READ MORE: 'Frightened, wet and exhausted' native animals filmed desperately fleeing floodwaters

As of 5am there are 60 flood warnings in place across Victoria.

For Victoria the "impact days" will be Thursday through to Saturday, Narramore said.

The warning comes as the state's flood crisis continues.

There are currently 60 warnings in place across the state, 34,000 homes are at risk, and a suite of evacuation orders have been issued.

Emergency Management Victoria Commissioner Andrew Crisp said authorities are working closely with the BoM to protect communities.

"We will continue to do all we can," he said.

"We are dealing with a lot at the moment.

"We are starting to look at cleanup in the Maribyrnong and Seymour, we are still dealing with response, and we certainly have an eye on the weather.

"In Victoria we will see another weather system move into the state from tomorrow…we will plan to whatever they (BoM) are forecasting."

Four dead after Russian fighter jet crashes into apartment block

A Russian warplane has crashed into a residential area in a Russian city on the Sea of Azov after suffering engine failure, killing at least four people and leaving six others missing after a massive blaze that engulfed several floors of a nine-story apartment building.

The incident was due to one of the engines catching fire, reported RIA Novosti, which cited Russia's defence ministry.

"According to the report of the ejected pilots, the cause of the plane crash was the ignition of one of the engines during take-off. At the site of the crash of the SU-34 in the courtyard of one of the residential quarters, the plane's fuel ignited," the ministry said in a statement to RIA.

READ MORE: UK PM 'not hiding under a desk' after historic tax cut U-turn

"A SU-34 aircraft crashed while climbing to perform a training flight from the military airfield of the Southern Military District," the ministry added.

Authorities said at least four residents were killed, six were missing and 25 others were injured, including eight people who were in grave condition. The authorities reserved emergency rooms at local hospitals and scrambled medical aircraft.

At least 17 apartments were affected by the fire, and about 100 residents were evacuated and provided with temporary accommodations.

An eyewitness told Russian state media TASS that firefighters and ambulances have arrived at the scene.

READ MORE: Chinese President Xi Jinping's warning to the west

"Plane crashed in our city … Ambulances and firefighters are coming from all over the city, helicopters are in the air," said the eyewitness, as quoted by TASS.

The residential building has nine floors, according to another resident who spoke to TASS. A separate eyewitness said an entire house was on fire.

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations told RIA that the area of the fire caused by the crash is 2000 square metres wide.

READ MORE: Explosions rock Kyiv a week after Russian strikes

The Su-34 is a supersonic twin-engine bomber equipped with sophisticated sensors and weapons that has been a key strike component of the Russian air force. The aircraft has seen wide use during the war in Syria and the fighting in Ukraine.

Monday's accident marked the 10th reported non-combat crash of a Russian warplane since Moscow sent its troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24. Military experts have noted that as the number of Russian military flights increased sharply during the fighting, so did the crashes.

Veniamin Kondratyev, the Governor of Krasnodar Krai region, said in a statement that he is on his way to the city.

"Emergency services are already working on the spot — all regional fire and rescue garrisons are engaged in extinguishing the fire," he said in a statement on his Telegram channel.

READ MORE: 'Kamikaze' drones strike fear in Ukraine's capital, killing four

Why billions of snow crabs have disappeared from Alaska

The Alaska snow crab harvest has been cancelled for the first time ever after billions of the crustaceans have disappeared from the cold, treacherous waters of the Bering Sea in recent years.

The Alaska Board of Fisheries and North Pacific Fishery Management Council announced last week that the population of snow crab in the Bering Sea fell below the regulatory threshold to open up the fishery.

But the actual numbers behind that decision are shocking: The snow crab population shrank from around 8 billion in 2018 to one billion in 2021, according to Benjamin Daly, a researcher with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

READ MORE: Thousands more Victorian homes under threat as floodwaters surge

The Alaska snow crab harvest has been canceled for the first time ever after billions of the crustaceans have disappeared from the cold, treacherous waters of the Bering Sea in recent years.

"Snow crab is by far the most abundant of all the Bering Sea crab species that is caught commercially," Daly told CNN. "So the shock and awe of many billions missing from the population is worth noting – and that includes all the females and babies."

The Bristol Bay red king crab harvest will also be closed for the second year in a row, the agencies announced.

Officials cited overfishing as their rationale for canceling the seasons. Mark Stichert, the groundfish and shellfish fisheries management coordinator with the state's fish and game department, said that more crab were being fished out of the oceans than could be naturally replaced.

"So there were more removals from the population than there were inputs," Stichert explained at Thursday's meeting.

READ MORE: Serial killer suspect arrested while 'hunting'

A snow crab seen underwater in the St. Lawrence River in Canada.

Between the surveys conducted in 2021 and 2022, he said, mature male snow crabs declined about 40 per cent, with an estimated 45 million pounds left in the entire Bering Sea.

"It's a scary number, just to be clear," Stichert said.

But calling the Bering Sea crab population "overfished" – a technical definition that triggers conservation measures – says nothing about the cause of its collapse.

"We call it overfishing because of the size level," Michael Litzow, the Kodiak lab director for NOAA Fisheries, told CNN.

"But it wasn't overfishing that caused the collapse, that much is clear."

Litzow says human-caused climate change is a significant factor in the crabs' alarming disappearance

READ MORE: 'More rain on the way': Looming weather system stokes flood fears

Snow crabs are cold-water species and found overwhelmingly in areas where water temperatures are below 2 degrees Celsius, Litzow says.

As oceans warm and sea ice disappears, the ocean around Alaska is becoming inhospitable for the species.

"There have been a number of attribution studies that have looked at specific temperatures in the Bering Sea or Bering Sea ice cover in 2018, and in those attribution studies, they've concluded that those temperatures and low-ice conditions in the Bering sea are a consequence of global warming," Litzow said.

Temperatures around the Arctic have warmed four times faster than the rest of the planet, scientists have reported.

Climate change has triggered a rapid loss in sea ice in the Arctic region, particularly in Alaska's Bering Sea, which in turn has amplified global warming.

"Closing the fisheries due to low abundance and continuing research are the primary efforts to restore the populations at this point," Ethan Nichols, an assistant area management biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, told CNN.

Stichert also said that there might be some "optimism for the future" as a few, small juvenile snow crabs are starting to appear in the system.

But it could be at least three to four more years before they hit maturity and contribute to the regrowth of the population.

"It is a glimmer of optimism," Litzow said.

"That's better than not seeing them, for sure. We get a little bit warmer every year and that variability is higher in Arctic ecosystems and high latitude ecosystems, and so if we can get a cooler period that would be good news for snow crab."

Former minister denies trying to interfere in Bruce Lehrmann trial

Former minister Linda Reynolds has denied trying to interfere in the criminal trial of a man accused of raping her former staffer Brittany Higgins.

Higgins alleges she was raped by former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann inside Reynolds' ministerial office weeks before the 2019 federal election was called.

Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty in the ACT Supreme Court to sexual intercourse without consent.

READ MORE: Brittany Higgins finishes giving evidence after emotional cross-examination

Senator Linda Reynolds departs ACT supreme court in Canberra on Monday 17 October 2022.

While giving evidence in the trial on Monday, it was revealed that Reynolds sought access to the transcripts of Higgins' evidence because she was curious about what had been said.

However, she was told this request was "inappropriate" and she did not receive the transcripts.

Prosecutor Shane Drumgold asked the senator why she had messaged Lehrmann's defence team about a potential line of questioning two hours after Higgins began her evidence.

Drumgold accused her of trying to coach the cross-examination of Higgins because she was politically invested in the outcome of the case, two suggestions which she denied.

https://twitter.com/LaurenTomasi/status/1581866379916980224

It was also revealed Reynolds' partner has been sitting in court throughout the proceedings, but she denied he had relayed any details of the case to her.

Reynolds said she knew few details about Higgins' alleged rape in 2019 and did not consider the former staffer a liability to the Liberal Party.

The court previously heard Higgins did not pursue a police complaint because during a meeting with Reynolds the week after the alleged assault, the conversation turned to the impact it could have on the Liberal Party.

When Drumgold put to Reynolds that her dominant concern in that meeting was the impending election, she strenuously denied it.

"I categorically and utterly reject that assertion," she said.

During a highly emotional cross-examination Brittany Higgins denied making up the rape allegation and directly addressed accused Bruce Lehrmann.

Reynolds told the court she knew few details about the night of the alleged assault, other than there had been a security breach of her ministerial suite.

She said Higgins was apologetic and embarrassed about the breach.

When Higgins became upset while disclosing details about waking up the following morning and getting dressed, Reynolds said she recommended talking to the police.

She told the court she suggested Higgins talk to someone more qualified.

Earlier, Liberal senator Michaelia Cash denied the former government covered up Higgins' alleged rape, agreeing it would be political suicide to do so.

Senator Michaelia Cash has given evidence at the trial of the man who allegedly raped Brittany Higgins.

Cash also said she did not know about the rape accusation until 2021.

The court has previously heard Higgins, who was employed by Cash between 2019 and 2021, talked to her about the alleged assault several times.

But appearing via video link on Monday, Cash said although she was told there had been a security breach in a ministerial office, she was not told about the alleged sexual assault.

She said Higgins disclosed she and Lehrmann had entered Reynolds' office after a night out drinking and she had fallen asleep there.

Cash said she did not recall talking to Reynolds about the breach.

Asked by Drumgold if an alleged assault between ministerial staffers would be "politically embarrassing", Cash said, "absolutely not".

She said she did not understand the political connection, but an assault allegation would need to be addressed.

When Lehrmann's defence lawyer, Steven Whybrow, suggested it would be "political suicide" for a government to try and cover up a sexual assault allegation, Cash agreed.

Cash said when she learned about the alleged assault in 2021 she told Higgins she would be supported "every step of the way".

The trial continues on Tuesday.

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Supermarket shelves stripped bare as floodwaters surge

Supermarkets across Echuca and Moama have been stripped bare as the emergency flood situation across Victoria continues to intensify.

The Goulburn River has cut Greater Shepparton in half, stranding thousands on either side of the city.

Peaking just shy of the predicted 12.2 metres, the Goulburn River reached 12.05 metres on Monday morning.

READ MORE: Residents in tears after looting in flood-hit Melbourne

The crisis comes as Australia's east coast braces for further thunderstorms this week, renewing flooding fears for Victoria, as well as New South Wales and Tasmania.

Speaking at the State Control Centre, Premier Daniel Andrews warned there are "really significant challenges" for flooded communities in the coming days due to the expected rainfall.

"We've had a massive rain event, so that's our starting point. We're going to get more rain off that higher base," he said.

"This is a little bit different to other flood events on record, in terms of the magnitude, because it is bigger.

"But also it's a kind of rolling flood event. What we're going to see is more and more (flooding) so that presents a unique challenge."

READ MORE: Rising floodwaters threaten dozens of horses in regional Victoria

Floodwaters cut off communities

Neighbouring townships of Mooroopna and Kialla are cut off from each other as dozens of roads are closed due to floodwater.

Mooroopna's power station had to be switched off yesterday as it went under, so thousands of residents will be without power for days.

Residents in Bunbartha and Charlton have been urged to evacuate, while those in Orrvale, Murchison, Kialla West and Mooroopna are advised "it's too late to leave" and to "shelter in the highest location possible".

Jaimie Nolan, a Mooroopna resident who chose to leave her property but stay in the town, told 9news.com.authe floods have had "devastating" impacts.

"The situation is horrible, just seeing people's homes and businesses under water," she said. 

"Seeing animals roaming the streets soaking wet and not able to go anywhere else.

"Not having supplies to help people in need, it's just horrific."

READ MORE: 'More rain on the way': Flooding fears stoked as another weather system looms

Nolan said her home has been completely flooded.

"The water came up so fast. We left Sunday morning at 5am and the water was only at our ankles," she said.

"We returned to our home around 2pm-3pm and it was above hip height and slowly rising.

"We are not capable of getting near our home without a boat now."

Today reporter Christine Ahern explained another situation is unfolding as saturated catchments merge into one other.

"It's sitting just under that at the moment but we have a situation where creeks are converging with the river system and the water is also coming up through the drains.

"The prediction from authorities is over 7000 homes will be impacted in the Greater Shepparton area; 2500 of those inundated."

READ MORE: How Victoria's floods crisis will affect the cost of living in Australia

The town of Shepparton is going underwater. This photo was taken around 6:30 am, with the Goulburn River forecast to hit its peak sometime this morning.

Kerang could be next the town to be cut off, according to SES chief Tim Wiebusch.

Wiebusch said residents living in Kerang should be "preparing themselves" to potentially be isolated for more than a week.

"We're asking the Kerang community to consider whether they should now be moving to another location, given that peak is expected Wednesday into Thursday," he said.

Fourteen police officers were deployed to the town today to help assist with the flood effort.

A Victoria Police spokesperson said the officers left from Melbourne this morning.

"Police will assist the community where needed in Kerang, which is near the Murray River, as they prepare to be significantly impacted by rising waters," the spokesperson said.

READ MORE: Families return home after floodwater inundates inner-Melbourne

Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said the Goulburn River had peaked this morning.

"Our focus is on ongoing rescues in the Shepparton, Mooroopna area," he said.

"With Echuca we had the first peak, slightly receding at the moment but we know when the water from the Goulburn hits the Murray, we will have a second peak Wednesday or Tuesday in Echuca, so very focused on that.

"And looking at the communities north of Charlton where we have an evacuation order in place."

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The SES says they have performed more than 650 flood rescues during this event, which started last Thursday.

About 100 have been performed overnight, specically around the Shepparton and Goulburn Valley district, Wiebusch said.

"We continue to see a significant number of rescues occurring," he said.

An alert was issued to residents in low-lying areas along the Campaspe River from Barnadown to Rochester to move to higher ground as the river is still in major flood.

The Rochester community is in mourning after Kevin Wills, 71, was found dead in floodwaters in the backyard of his home on Saturday.

His wife was trapped in the property and evacuated following the discovery.

Dozens of homes are already underwater at Echuca, with the Campaspe River peaking yesterday afternoon.

READ MORE: Victoria could see 'some of the largest evacuations' in the state's history

Campaspe Shire Mayor Chrissy Weller said between 400 to 1000 homes could be impacted by the second peak at Echuca.

"As the Campaspe has come into here, into Echuca, it hits the Murray," she said.

"For the river it is like hitting a brick wall because the Murray is up so high.

"It was 94.23 at 5 this morning at Echuca , at the wharf, and 94.4 is our major flood level.

"And we have got the Goulburn then with flood rates coming in in two days time.

"We know it is not over here for us at Echuca, as obviously rain as well as the actual Murray River water comes down past us."

READ MORE: Victorians impacted by floodwaters eligible for emergency payments

Flood waters from the Goulburn River reached Powercor's Mooroopna zone substation so the site was 'de-energised'.

About 100 defence personnel have been deployed to the state to help with evacuations and sandbagging.

Flooding across Tasmania's north and north-east is also causing destruction.

There are several flood warnings still in effect for the state with areas around the Meander River and Macquarie River on highest alert.

Tasmanian residents can stay across flood warnings here. 

Local Forbes residents deal with their 4th flood in 2 years Photo Nick Moir 14 Oct 2022

Floods are also threatening central western NSW, with 75 SES warnings in place across the state.

"The focus over the next 24 hours will be the mid Murray and Edward Rivers," it said in a statement.

"Flood levels have already exceeded the 2016 levels and are looking to exceed the 1993 flood levels at Ecucha and Moama. Other locations significantly affected include Forbes, Narrandera, Wee Waa, Warren, Nanami, Jemalong and Barham."

https://twitter.com/AlboMP/status/1581493659865751552

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced one-off flood payments for flood victims across Tasmania and Victoria.

The affected can access payments of $1000 per adult and $400 per child.

"This support is of course small compensation but it does mean people are getting that support on the ground and we will make that available," he said.

"And that information will be available from [Sunday] afternoon to ensure the money can flow immediately."

The payments come in addition to disaster recovery allowances already available in the states.