US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino on Sunday that the Central American ally must immediately reduce Chinese influence over the Panama Canal area or face potential retaliation from the Trump administration.

Rubio, on his first foreign trip as America's top diplomat, held face-to-face talks with Mulino, who has resisted pressure from the new US government over Panama's management of a waterway that is vital to global trade.

Mulino told reporters after the meeting that Rubio made "no real threat of retaking the canal or the use of force."

READ MORE: 'Dumbest trade war in history': Trump's tariffs a $2.25 trillion gamble

Speaking on behalf of President Donald Trump, who has demanded that the canal be returned to US control, Rubio told Mulino that Trump had made a preliminary determination that China's presence in the canal area violates a treaty that led to the US turning the waterway over to Panama in 1999.

That treaty calls for the permanent neutrality of the American-built canal, which Rubio planned to tour later Sunday.

"Secretary Rubio made clear that this status quo is unacceptable and that absent immediate changes, it would require the United States to take measures necessary to protect its rights under the treaty," the State Department said in a summary of the meeting.

The statement was unusually blunt in diplomatic terms, but in keeping with the tenor and tone Trump has set for foreign policy.

Trump has been increasing pressure on Washington's neighbors and allies, including the canal demand and announcing Saturday that he was imposing major tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

READ MORE: Netanyahu heads to US to discuss 'victory over Hamas' with Trump

That prompted retaliation from those close allies, launching a trade war.

Mulino, meanwhile, called his talks with Rubio "respectful" and "positive" and said he did not "feel like there's a real threat against the treaty and its validity."

He acknowledged that China's role in the ports at either end of the canal has raised concerns with Washington. But the president said the consortium controlling them was being audited and that the canal authority would give Rubio a more detailed explanation.

Mulino did say Panama would not be renewing its agreement with China's Belt and Road Initiative when it expires.

READ MORE: Trade war looms as Mexico and Canada retaliate to Trump's tariffs

Panama joined the initiative, which promotes and funds infrastructure and development projects that critics say leave poor member countries heavily indebted to China, after it dropped diplomatic recognition of Taiwan and recognised Beijing.

About 200 people marched in the capital on Sunday, carrying Panamanian flags and shouting "Marco Rubio out of Panama," "Long live national sovereignty" and "One territory, one flag" while the meeting was going on.

Some burned a banner with images of Trump and Rubio after being stopped short of the presidential palace by riot police.

Rubio also pressed Trump's top focus — curbing illegal immigration — telling Panama's president that it was important to collaborate on the work and thanked him for taking back migrants.

Rubio's trip, however, comes as a US foreign aid funding freeze and stop-work orders have shut down US-funded programs targeting illegal migration and crime in Central American countries.

In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece on Friday, Rubio said mass migration, drugs and hostile policies pursued by Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela have wreaked havoc, and port facilities at the either end of the canal are run by a China-based company, leaving the waterway vulnerable to pressure from the Beijing government.

"The president's been pretty clear he wants to administer the canal again," Rubio said Thursday.

"Obviously, the Panamanians are not big fans of that idea. That message has been brought very clear."

Despite Mulino's rejection of any negotiation over ownership, some believe Panama may be open to a compromise under which canal operations on both sides are taken away from the Hong Kong-based Hutchison Ports company, which was given a 25-year no-bid extension to run them.

An audit into the suitability of that extension is already under way and could lead to a rebidding process.

What is unclear is whether Trump would accept the transfer of the concession to an American or European company as meeting his demands, which appear to cover more than just operations.

Rubio's trip, which will also take him to El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, comes amid a freeze in US foreign assistance. The State Department said Sunday that Rubio had approved waivers for certain critical programs in countries he is visiting but details of those were not immediately available.

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ANALYSIS: US President Donald Trump is on the verge of hitting America's three biggest trading partners with sweeping tariffs, a far more aggressive use of his favourite economic weapon than anything he did during his first term.

The looming import taxes on Mexico, Canada and China will be a major test of Trump's unorthodox use of tariffs, which he's described as "the greatest thing ever invented".

It's an enormous gamble, arguably a bigger one than any economic policy Trump enacted during his four-plus years in the White House. And this strategy has the potential to upend the thing many voters care about the most: the economy and the cost of living.

READ MORE: How Trump's tariff orders will work

But Trump's tariffs pose a big risk: They could backfire, lifting already-high consumer prices at the grocery store, rocking the shaky stock market or killing jobs in a full-blown trade war.

"This may be the biggest own-goal yet," Mary Lovely, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told CNN in a phone interview.

"This is a huge gamble. It's a recipe for slowing down the economy and increasing inflation."

The Wall Street Journal went a step further, publishing a scathing op-ed on Saturday titled: "The Dumbest Trade War in History."

The op-ed argued that Trump's justification for an "economic assault" on Canada and Mexico "makes no sense" and warned the strategy could end in disaster.

A very different world

Trump views tariffs as an almost magical negotiating tool, a powerful way to gain leverage over friends and allies.

He has argued that tariffs are necessary to address major concerns, including the trade deficit, illegal immigration and the flow of illicit drugs.

Trump and his supporters often point out, correctly, that tariffs during his first term did not cause problematic inflation.

But those were different tariffs, applied in a very different world at a very different time.

Trump set in motion tariffs on $US1.4 trillion ($2.25 trillion) of imported goods at the weekend.

That's more than triple the $US380 billion ($609.8 billion) worth of foreign goods that were hit with tariffs during Trump' first term, according to estimates from the Tax Foundation.

During Trump's first term, inflation wasn't really a problem.

Today, life is so much more expensive, at the grocery store, at the car dealership and almost everywhere else. Consumers, investors and Federal Reserve officials are far more sensitive to even moderate price increases now.

Why 'burn your own house down?'

The White House has argued Trump's tariffs won't spell trouble for the US economy, but some economists and trade experts are deeply concerned because these levies are aiming at America's closest neighbours, Canada and Mexico.

During his first term, Trump threatened, but never pulled the trigger on, tariffs on Canada and Mexico. He was talked out of such moves by his advisers.

Hitting Canada and Mexico with blanket tariffs could cause supply chain chaos in the closely interconnected North American economy, leading to higher prices.

"To impose tariffs as high as 25 per cent on our closest trading partners risks decimating the North American economic powerhouse" — which the US relies on said Christine McDaniel, a former trade official in President George W Bush's administration who is now a senior research fellow at George Mason University's Mercatus Centre.

"Why would you want to burn your own house down?"

That's especially true in the auto industry, where parts often cross the border multiple time before a car arrives at the dealership. Wolfe Research has estimated the price of a typical car sold in the US could increase by $US3000 due to tariffs.

Grocery store prices at risk

The oil industry has pleaded with the White House to shield crude from the tariffs because Canada is the largest foreign source of oil. Analysts have warned that tariffs could increase petrol prices in the Great Lakes, Midwest and the Rockies.

That's why the White House trimmed tariffs on Canadian energy to 10 per cent, instead of the full 25 per cent.

Grocery store prices are a major pain point that weighed on voters this past election. But Mexico is America's largest foreign source of fruit and vegetables, while Canada is No.1 in grains, livestock/meats and sugar/tropical products.

Lovely said she is "very" confident the US tariffs will cause higher prices for consumers – especially at the grocery store and on building materials. She noted that shifts in the value of currencies could blunt some, but not all, of the price impact.

"It has to increase prices," said Lovely.

"There's no way you can just levy this tax and then suddenly, poof, this burden disappears – even though that's what he wants to convince us is true."

Tariff-driven price hikes won't happen immediately. Instead, they could play out in a drip-drip-drip fashion as the impact flows through complex supply chains.

"It's not like everyone will mark up their shelves tomorrow, and then it's done," said Lovely.

"You'll see a slow pass-through to prices. One week it will be at the grocery store, another it will be at Home Depot."

The problem is that higher input costs, along with retaliatory tariffs, could hurt spending by both businesses and consumers – and alarm investors and Fed officials.

Trump's tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, along with those countries' retaliatory tariffs, could wipe out 1.5 percentage points from US gross domestic product growth (GDP) in 2025 and another 2.1 percentage points in 2026, according to estimates by EY chief economist Gregory Daco.

"Steep tariff increases against US trading partners could create a stagflationary shock—a negative economic hit combined with an inflationary impulse—while also triggering financial market volatility," Daco wrote in a report on Friday.

'Playing with fire'

A big wildcard is how the Fed will respond.

Although Fed chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues might be willing to overlook a one-time hit to prices, tariffs could force the US central bank to further delay interest rate cuts.

The real key for Fed officials will be how tariffs alter consumer psychology, if at all.

"If tariffs drive inflation expectations higher, the Fed may feel pressured to keep rates restrictive for longer, tightening financial conditions and weighing on growth momentum," Daco said in the new report.

Of course, it's still too early to say exactly how all of this will unfold. There are many variables, including how complex supply chains and consumers react.

It's entirely possible that a last-minute agreement is reached before the levies do real damage.

Still, spiking tariffs by this much on this wide a range of goods is a risky strategy, one that not even Trump tried in his first term.

"The administration is playing with fire," said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM.

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Authorities in Greece say they have arrested a suspect accused of setting up online auctions to sell ancient Greek artefacts across multiple countries, including the US, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Italy.

The suspect, a woman who described as a foreign national but was not further identified, was detained in Athens by police officers tasked with combating antiquities trafficking, the agency said on Friday.

Officers who searched her home seized multiple ancient relics including pottery fragments, figurine pieces, and a statuette of a satyr, a creature from Greek mythology.

The suspect was referred to a public prosecutor to be charged. No further details were immediately available.

Under Greek law, the transfer of ownership of antiquities without legal authorisation is punishable by up to two years in prison, with sentences of up to 10 years for more serious related offences.

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US President Donald Trump has signed an order to impose stiff tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China, drawing swift retaliation from the country's North American neighbours in an emerging trade war.

The Republican president posted on social media that the tariffs were necessary "to protect Americans", pressing the three nations to do more to curb the manufacture and export of illicit fentanyl and for Canada and Mexico to reduce illegal immigration into the US.

The action fulfilled one of Trump's commitments to voters but threw the global economy and Trump's own political mandate to lower prices into turmoil.

READ MORE: Woman killed in Queensland flood emergency

The tariffs, if sustained, could cause inflation to significantly worsen, possibly eroding voters' trust that Trump could as promised lower the prices of groceries, fuel, housing, cars and other goods.

Trump declared an economic emergency in order to place duties of 10 per cent on all imports from China and 25 per cent on imports from Mexico and Canada.

But energy imported from Canada, including oil, natural gas and electricity, would be taxed at a 10 per cent rate.

The action provoked an economic standoff with America's two largest trading partners in Mexico and Canada, upending a decades-old trade relationship with the possibility of harsh reprisals by those two nations.

Mexico's president immediately ordered retaliatory tariffs and Canada's prime minister said the country would put matching 25 per cent tariffs on up to $US155 billion in US imports.

"We categorically reject the White House's slander that the Mexican government has alliances with criminal organisations, as well as any intention of meddling in our territory," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote in a post on X while saying she had instructed her economy secretary to implement a response that includes retaliatory tariffs and other measures in defense of Mexico's interests.

"If the United States government and its agencies wanted to address the serious fentanyl consumption in their country, they could fight the sale of drugs on the streets of their major cities, which they don't do and the laundering of money that this illegal activity generates that has done so much harm to its population."

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country's government "firmly deplores and opposes this move and will take necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests".

China began regulating fentanyl-related drugs as a class of controlled substances in 2019 and conducted "counternarcotics cooperation with the US," the ministry said, calling on the US government to correct what it considers wrongful actions.

The Ministry of Commerce in China said it would file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organisation for the "wrongful practices of the US" and take measures to safeguard its rights and interests.Trump's order includes a mechanism to escalate the rates charged by the US against retaliation by the other countries, raising the spectre of an even more severe economic disruption.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canadian duties on $US30 billion in trade in American alcohol and fruit will take effect on Tuesday, when the US tariffs go into effect.

He opened his address to Canadians with a message aimed at American consumers.

"It will have real consequences for you, the American people," he said, saying it would result in higher prices on groceries and other goods.

Trudeau channelled the views of many Canadians who were feeling betrayed by their neighbour and longtime ally, reminding Americans that Canadian troops fought alongside them in Afghanistan and helped them respond to myriad crises from wildfires in California to Hurricane Katrina.

"The actions taken today by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together," Trudeau said, warning in French that it could bring about "dark times" for many people.

He encouraged Canadians to "choose Canadian products and services rather than American ones".

The premier of Canadian province British Columbia, David Eby, called on residents to stop buying liquor from US "red" states and said it was removing American alcohol brands from government store shelves as a response to the tariffs.

In a televised message, Eby deemed the Trump's administration decision as "a declaration of economic war against a trusted ally and friend" and that he will stand up for his citizens and all Canadians in general.

"Effective today, I have directed BC liquor sales to immediately stop buying American liquor from red states," he said.

"Liquor store employees will be removing the most popular of these brands from government store shelves."

The tariffs will go into effect on Tuesday, setting a showdown in North America that could potentially sabotage economic growth.

A new analysis by the Budget Lab at Yale laid out the possible damage to the US economy, saying the average US household would lose the equivalent of $US1170 in income from the taxes.

Economic growth would slow and inflation would worsen — and the situation could be even worse if the countries retaliate.

A senior US administration official, insisting on anonymity to brief reporters, said the lower rate on energy reflected a desire to minimise any disruptive increases on the price of gasoline or utilities.

That's a sign White House officials understand the gamble they're taking on inflation.

Price spikes under former President Joe Biden led to voter frustration that helped to return Trump to the White House last year.

The order signed by Trump contained no mechanism for granting exceptions, the official said, a possible blow to homebuilders who rely on Canadian lumber as well as farmers, automakers and other industries.

The Trump administration put the tariffs in place to force the three countries to stop the spread and manufacturing of fentanyl, in addition to pressuring Canada and Mexico to limit any illegal immigration into the United States.

The official did not provide specific benchmarks that could be met to lift the new tariffs, saying only that the best measure would be fewer Americans dying from fentanyl addiction.

The order would also allow for tariffs on Canadian imports of less than $US800.

Imports below that sum are currently able to cross into the United States without customs and duties.

"It doesn't make much economic sense,'' said William Reinsch, senior adviser at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and a former US trade official.

"Historically, most of our tariffs on raw materials have been low because we want to get cheaper materials so our manufacturers will be competitive … Now, what's he talking about? He's talking about tariffs on raw materials. I don't get the economics of it.''

The Republican president is making a major political bet that his actions will not significantly worsen inflation, cause financial aftershocks that could destabilise the worldwide economy or provoke a voter backlash.

AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate in last year's election, found that the U.S. was split on support for tariffs.

With the tariffs, Trump is honoring promises that are at the core of his economic and national security philosophy.

But the announcement showed his seriousness around the issue as some Trump allies had played down the threat of higher import taxes as mere negotiating tactics.

The president is preparing more import taxes in a sign that tariffs will be an ongoing part of his second term.

On Friday, he mentioned imported computer chips, steel, oil and natural gas, as well as against copper, pharmaceutical drugs and imports from the European Union — moves that could essentially pit the US against much of the global economy.

It is unclear how the tariffs could affect the business investments that Trump said would happen because of his plans to cut corporate tax rates and remove regulations.

Tariffs tend to raise prices for consumers and businesses by making it more expensive to bring in foreign goods.

Many voters turned to Trump in the November election on the belief that he could better handle the inflation that spiked under Biden.

But inflation expectations are creeping upward in the University of Michigan's index of consumer sentiment as respondents expect prices to rise by 3.3 per cent.

That would be higher than the actual 2.9 per cent annual inflation rate in December's consumer price index.

Trudeau said Canada is addressing Trump's calls on border security by implementing a $CDN1.3 billion ($US900 million) border plan that includes helicopters, new canine teams and imaging tools.

Trump still has to get a budget, tax cuts and an increase to the government's legal borrowing authority through Congress.

The outcome of his tariff plans could strengthen his hand or weaken it.

Democrats were quick to say that any inflation going forward was the result of Trump, who is about to start his third week back as president.

"You're worried about grocery prices. Don's raising prices with his tariffs," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York posted on X.

"You're worried about tomato prices. Wait till Trump's Mexico tariffs raise your tomato prices. … You're worried about car prices. Wait till Trump's Canada tariffs raise your car prices," he wrote in a series of posts.

A woman has died and thousands are under evacuation orders as intense rain and flash flooding grip large parts of North Queensland, particularly across Townsville and Ingham.

Residents in affected areas were warned to be on alert for flooding and even crocodiles after more than 800mm was dumped in parts of the region across the weekend, with potentially more to come.

One dramatic rescue was caught on camera while another ended in tragedy as the region's days-long soaking continued.

CHECK THE LATEST WARNINGS HERE

READ MORE: Trump imposes stiff tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli confirmed a woman died in floodwaters in Ingham, about 100km from Townsville, after an SES rescue boat capsized about 9.20am today.

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

Her body was located a short time later.

"There has been a loss of a life in floodwaters in Ingham," Crisafulli said.

"That's a really tight-knit community, our thoughts and prayers are with the family."

State Disaster Coordinator Shane Chelepy told reporters the woman, a member of the public, was travelling on an SES boat when it capsized.

"There were six people onboard the vessel, five people were recovered safely, but sadly one person was deceased," he said.

Police confirmed an off-duty police officer in a boat recovered the woman's body from the floodwaters.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the woman's death as "heartbreaking".

A dramatic rescue was caught on camera in Ingham, as a car floated past rapidly in fast-flowing floodwaters.

"Shit! Jump out mate, jump out! The window! Jump!" an onlooker can be heard yelling.

The driver eventually clambered onto the roof of the vehicle after it hit a power pole, before rescuers arrived in a small boat.

Thousands under evacuation orders

Multiple suburbs were told to evacuate after the region was hammered with 400mm of rain in 24 hours.

Evacuation orders were issued for large parts of Townsville overnight as heavy rainfall triggered dangerous flash flooding.

Residents in Cluden, Hermit Park, Idalia, Oonoonba, Railway Estate and Rosslea were warned to leave by 12pm local time (1pm AEDT) today and Bluewater was added later in the afternoon, according to police.

After her family lost everything in 2019, Kathryn Ferguson wasn't taking any chances, piling her belongings, including precious photographs, into the car.

"Well these are the one I'm gonna save this time, 'cause last time I lost them all," she said.

It was too late for other residents.

"My house is gone. My driveway's – I can't even access my driveway and I'm in a four-wheel drive," one said.

Albanese said today he was committed to helping Queensland battle the floods with any resources necessary.

"I have spoken with Premier Crisafulli and reiterated we will supply whatever resources are required to deal with this event," the PM said in a statement.

Hundreds of millimetres of rain

Rainfall totals have been staggering but the downpour is far from over.

Rollingstone copped more than 820mm of rain from 9am yesterday to late this afternoon, with 810mm at Paluma Dam and 600mm at Bluewater, a flooded suburb in Townsville's south.

Forecasters warned the weather system could still dump another 500mm across the rest of tonight and tomorrow.

Crocodile warning amid flooding

Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation told residents to be aware of crocodiles in the murky floodwaters as the rain turns streets into rivers.

"During flooding crocodiles can turn up in places they haven't been seen before as they move about in search of calmer waters," the department said in a statement.

"Expect crocodiles in all north and far north Queensland waterways even if there is no warning sign."

More rain on the horizon

The intense rain and flooding wouldn't ease any time soon, the Bureau of Meteorology warned.

The bureau said the forecast of more rainfall would likely lead to further pressure on rivers, creeks and streams which can lead to flooding.

Homes and businesses have already been inundated with flooding across the north.

Ingham went completely underwater in 1967 when the Herbert River hit 15.2 metres, a level it was set to come close to again in this disaster.

"If the water gets up to about that telephone pole, we're just gonna go," one resident told 9News.

Heavy monsoonal weather, including damaging wind gusts, was forecast for the north-east coast of Queensland with three-day totals expected to top 1000mm.

The rain was expected to continue well into tomorrow and Tuesday.

Peak wind gusts of about 90km/h were also possible for the islands and coastal fringe between Tully and Giru, with winds set to ease later tonight.bureau said.

Peak wind gusts of about 90km/h were also possible for the islands and coastal fringe between Tully and Giru, with winds set to ease later tonight.

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Authorities were out early knocking on doors and asking homeowners to gather their loved ones and belongings and leave before it was too late.

Single-storey homes were most at risk, while flooding could reach second-storey floors, rescue crews have warned.

An evacuation centre was set up at Heatley Secondary College at 321 Fulham Road in Heatley and a second at Townsville Sports Precinct at 24 Burke Street in North Ward, with animals only accepted at the second location.

Damaging wind gusts of up to 100km/h across Townsville and much of North Queensland made rescue missions and evacuations difficult.

READ MORE: Three states entirely under heatwave as scorching temperatures grip most of Australia

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a gale warning for the coast of Townsville and Cairns while more strong winds were forecast for Mackay during the.

The bureau has warned there is potential for more intense rainfall over the state's north into next week.

Major flood warnings were issued for several rivers around Queensland including:

• The Herbert River
• The Ross and Bohle Rivers, the Black River and Bluewater Creek
• The Haughton River Catchment

Premier: Please evacuate your homes

This morning, Crisafulli shared a warning for Queenslanders under threat by the flooding and asked those in the "black zone" to pack their bags and leave.

Crisafulli told Today there was no end in sight yet for the heavy rains smashing the state's north.

"We're asking you to leave now," Crisafulli said.

"Ultimately, going with friends and family would be the preferred option, but if that's not an option for you, there is evacuation centres at both Heatley as well as the Townsville Sports Reserve, now in Ingham further north, which is my hometown.

"Some of the rainfall and the river rises we've seen overnight are at historic levels."

The premier said Queenslanders should take this evacuation notice seriously and to stay safe and avoid the roads during treacherous flood conditions.

He said the forecast over the next few days was for "monsoonal rain".

"Take every opportunity to get out if you believe you're in harm's way. Certainly if you're in those suburbs, you've got to go by midday," he added.

"There's more to come. The next few days could throw down more monsoonal rain. In fact, it will.

"So please, please listen to the warnings and we are updating them in real time."

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Friends and neighbours of missing Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy have gathered to mark the first anniversary of her disappearance.

The tragic milestone looms after the Ballarat mother, 51, disappeared in the Canadian Forest on February 4, 2024.

Murphy left her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East at around 7am to go for a run.

READ MORE: How the investigation into the disappearance of Samantha Murphy unfolded

READ MORE: Death toll climbs after medivac jet crashes in Philadelphia

When she failed to return home, where she was expected to attend a brunch, an investigation into her disappearance was launched.

On March 6, 2024, a now 23-year-old man was arrested and charged with one count of murder.

Ballarat man Patrick Orren Stephenson has pleaded not guilty to murder over the disappearance of Murphy, electing to fast-track his trial.

In May, her phone and wallet were discovered on the edge of a dam, roughly five kilometres south of where her phone last pinged a tower.

"I think people need answers," Councillor Samantha McIntosh told 9News.

"The family need answers. Sam's friends need answers."

Today, detectives have reaffirmed their vow to find Murphy's body following a year of exhaustive searches.

The search for her remains has spanned Enfield State Park, Canadian Forest and Buninyong Bushland Reserve and has involved Missing Person Squad officers, the dog squad, the mounted branch, search and rescue, air wing, SES, the AFP, local police and crime detectives.

Police said the investigation into the location of Murphy's body is still ongoing.

READ MORE: Multiple suburbs warned to leave as North Queensland smashed by rain

"Since Samantha's disappearance, police have worked tirelessly to locate her. While nothing can erase their grief and loss, being able to return Samantha to her family has always been incredibly important to us," Detective Inspector Dave Dunstan said today.

"We also know that Samantha's death has had an enormous impact on the Ballarat community, as well as the wider Victorian community.

"I want to reaffirm to the community that the Missing Persons Squad remains committed to doing everything we can to locate Samantha – while a year has passed, we still believe we can locate her."

Dunstan said the search this year will now widen to the Ballarat area, including new areas tipped off from sources.

"We also ask people who may be using these areas, particularly in the Enfield State Forest, to be aware of their surroundings and if they believe they may have come across Samantha's remains to contact police immediately," he added.

"There is nothing we want more than to return Samantha to her family and we remain committed to doing this."

Anyone with information is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

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Cars, homes and garages in Sydney's east have been defaced with antisemitic graffiti, with police also hunting three young men who threw eggs at a group of women in a suspected targeted attack.

Police were called to See Lane in Kingsford and King Lane in Randwick at 7am today after the discovery of antisemitic slurs spraypainted on properties and vehicles.

NSW Police said crime scenes have been established on both streets and an investigation has been launched under Strike Force Pearl, which has been investigating a string of antisemitic attacks across Sydney.

READ MORE: One dead, thousands told to evacuate as floods grip North Queensland

Meanwhile, three young men are on the run after egging a group of five women on Glenayr Avenue near Bondi Beach.

The silver Mazda the men fled in was later found abandoned with the engine running after crashing into a kerb in Rose Bay.

The men ran from the scene and avoided police.

"A motor vehicle collision occurred in Rose Bay at 10 o'clock, a silver Mazda crashed into a kerb there, three young people, three young males, decamped from that vehicle," Detective Superintendent Darren Newman, the commander of Strike Force Pearl, said.

"Police set up a perimeter with the Dog Squad.

"Unfortunately, we were unable to locate those particular individuals last night.

"Within that car, we found a carton full of eggs, a jerry can which was empty, and we commenced investigations in relation to that vehicle last night, and we also found keys in the ignition with the engine running."

Police today visited the Maroubra home of the Mazda's registered owner, with those in the car last night yet to be identified.

Newman said the owner was "unable to assist" police and urged those who were in the Mazda to come forward.

Police believe those who fled the Mazda were the same people behind the egging of the women near Bondi Beach. 

"At about 12.30pm today we had a report by a number of young ladies who were at Bondi Beach last night, they were set upon by what we believe is the individuals from that silver Mazda.

"A number of eggs were thrown at them around Bondi Beach, about 9.30pm, about half an hour before that vehicle was found in Rose Bay by police."

READ MORE: Trump imposes stiff tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico

David Ossip, president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, said the graffiti was an example of "hate speech for the sole purpose of intimidating and terrorising the Jewish community and destabilising Sydney's social harmony".

It comes just days after antisemitic graffiti was found at Sydney Jewish school Mt Sinai College in Maroubra.

A home near the school, a home in Eastlakes and the Eastgardens shopping centre were also vandalised with antisemitic graffiti.

The acts add to escalating concerns after a caravan filled with explosives was discovered in the city's north-west, which is being investigated by the counter-terrorism team.

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Researchers urge governments to ban single-use plastics immediately.

Tim Jago abandoned his appeal for continued name suppression on Friday.

Jameel Job broke into Barbara Julian’s house and beat her to death.