The largest evacuation in Queensland's history has been completed in St George, with just a few hundred people defying orders to leave the town amid record flooding.

Julia Gillard has overtaken Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister for the first time in nine months in the latest Nielsen poll.

Freezing weather in Europe is still causing chaos across the continent, with roads closed, flights cancelled, and gas supplies choked off.

The United States vows to redouble its efforts to solve the crisis in Syria after Russia and China blocked action through the UN.

Residents from St George in southern inland Queensland have spent their first night in evacuation centres in the Western Downs town of Dalby.

Filmmaker James Cameron is among those mourning documentary filmmakers Andrew Wight and Mike deGruy, who died in a NSW helicopter crash.

The clean-up is continuing from flooding in the NSW town of Moree, but rising waters elsewhere are keeping other communities on alert.

Police are looking for a man who used a toy gun to rob a hotel in Sydney's north-west, then locked two employees inside the safe.

Greek political leaders have failed to reach agreement on tough austerity measures, putting a $170 billion bailout package at risk.

Australia opened the tri-series with a comfortable 65-run victory over India in a rain-affected encounter at the MCG on Sunday night.