Victorian fire crews have spent the night battling a five-thousand-hectare blaze near Alpine's ski resorts. An emergency warning remains in place around Hotham Heightsand Dinner Plain. The fire has been burning for more than a week, but it's hoped cooler weather today will help with containment efforts.

 

Residents in Bundanburg have been returning to their homes  to begin the heart-breaking job of cleaning up the flood damage. Queensland's Premier Campbell Newman says early estimates  put the damage bill across Queensland at 2.4 billion dollars. The city of Rockhampton is expecting floodwaters to peak there tomorrow.

 

Labor power broker Eddie Obeid is due to take the stand at the New South Wales Corruption Commission today, following explosive revelations by his son. Yesterday, Moses Obeid admitted the family exploited inside information on coal exploration licences to make at least 75 million dollars. He said the information came from the state's former Mining Minister Ian McDonald.

 

United Nations has called for Israel to stop building new settlements in the occupied territories. A new UN report has found Israeli settlements are designed to drive Palestinians off the land and that they violate human rights.