Red Cross has released the names of over 20 Australians reported 'missing' on White Island, & more in News in 5.

–With AAP.

1. Red Cross has released the names of over 20 Australians reported missing on White Island.

On Monday at 2:11pm local time, New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, Whakaari – or White Island – erupted when 47 people were on the island.

Five people are confirmed dead after the blast, which caught tourists, including Australians, unawares.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said 24 Australians were visiting the island as part of a cruise ship tour group, which had a day boat of passengers visiting the island.

“There are still people who are unaccounted for, including Australians. We are working to confirm this information with the NZ authorities,” the Prime Minister said on Monday night.

“We have so far been able to identify a number of Australians who have been hospitalised and will be working further on this through the night.”

New Zealand’s Red Cross has listed the names of over 20 Australians reported missing by friends and family. To view the names, click here.

It includes a family of four from North Sydney, a newlywed couple and others. Those missing ranged between ages seven to 78.

Thirty-one people have been treated in hospital while three have been discharged overnight.

Police conducted a number of aerial reconnaissance flights over the island but found “no signs of life at any point".

"Police believe that anyone who could have been taken from the island alive was rescued at the time of the evacuation," authorities said in a statement.

"Based on the information we have, we do not believe there are any survivors on the island.

"Police are working urgently to confirm the exact number of those who have died, further to the five confirmed deceased already."

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said: "To our Australian family especially we will do everything we can to support you as you have supported us.

"I have been in regular communication with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison from yesterday evening and will continue to do so across the course of the day.

"Our duty is to return loved ones and... there is much work to be done."

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a hotline for consular support.

It is 1300 555 135, or if you're outside Australia, +61 2 6261 3305.

2. NSW braces for 'lethal' bushfire conditions as temperatures soar above 40C.

Temperatures are set to soar across NSW with authorities concerned about the dangerous bushfire conditions looming across the state.

The Bureau of Meteorology says "severe heatwave conditions" will build up on Tuesday, bringing temperatures over 40C to many regions.

These conditions, combined with "grotty" smoke pollution, will put a lot of stress on vulnerable people in the coming days, NSW authorities have warned.

NSW Health environmental health director Dr Richard Broome says Tuesday is likely to be "very hot and very smoky".

"It's going to be putting a lot of stress on vulnerable people, particularly elderly people who have existing heat and lung conditions."

The NSW environment department says air quality will be "poor" in Sydney on Tuesday and could "cause symptoms, especially in people with heart or lung disease".

NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says wind speeds on Tuesday won't be as high as previous dangerous bushfire days, but high temperatures and low humidity would cancel this out.

Firefighting crews spent Monday evening back burning around the Gospers Mountain mega-fire on the Central Coast.

"These critical operations are being conducted to protect homes ahead of hot and windy weather forecast for tomorrow," the RFS said on social media on Monday evening.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian says drought-stricken NSW could be in for a "horror summer".

"(Tuesday) is a very dangerous day for NSW given the combination of very hot, windy conditions and that has been lethal in the last few months," she told reporters on Monday.

There were almost 90 fires burning across NSW on Monday evening with 39 of those out of control.

3. Bob Hawke's eldest daughter hopes claims he dissuaded her sister from reporting an alleged rape won't change the way Australians view him.

Bob Hawke's eldest daughter hopes claims the former prime minister dissuaded her sister from reporting an alleged rape by a Labor MP in the 1980s don't change the way Australians view him.

In an affidavit as part of a $4 million legal claim on Mr Hawke's estate, Rosslyn Dillon alleges she was sexually assaulted by the late Victorian Labor MLC Bill Landeryou.

Ms Dillon, Mr Hawke's youngest daughter with his first wife Hazel, claims when she told the aspiring prime minister of the allegations in the 1980s, he told her, "You can't go to the police," The New Daily reported on the weekend.

"You can't. I can't have any controversies right now. I am sorry but I am challenging for the leadership of the Labor Party," she says in the affidavit lodged last week in the NSW Supreme Court.

Mr Hawke led Labor to victory in the federal election in March 1983, a month after winning the party's leadership.

Mr Hawke's eldest daughter, Sue Pieters-Hawke, said she hoped the allegations won't change the way Australians thought about her father, who died in May.

BREAKING: Bob Hawke’s daughter has lodged a $4 million claim against his estate alleging she was raped in the 1980s by a Labor MP and her father told her “don’t go to police” because he was preparing to challenge for Labor leadership https://t.co/agfJZpnHEW

— ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? (@samanthamaiden) December 7, 2019

Speaking on Monday at an event honouring him on what would have been his 90th birthday, Ms Pieters-Hawke said it would be "foolish if they did".

"I've made it very clear... that I love and respect my sister, I disagree with her on (the process of challenging the will) and apart from that I will be making no public comment," she told reporters in Sydney.

Ms Dillon's allegations are the "subject of an affidavit which may or may not be tested in court and I'm not going to comment on any of that," she said.

The family are "pretty well as far as I know," following the reports, Ms Pieters-Hawke said.

Mr Hawke's stepson Louis Pratt said the claims are "news to me" and that the family are "all surprised, obviously".

"Because I know that Bob loved Rosslyn very much and I know what his character is, so it's surprising," he said.

Ms Dillon, who is reportedly living on welfare payments, is claiming $4 million from her father's will rather than the $750,000 given to each of his three children and Mr Pratt, the son of his widow Blanche D'Alpuget.

The New Daily reports the couple's family home in Sydney sold for $14.5 million before his death.

In the affidavit, Ms Dillon says she was "shocked and hurt" her father asked her to cover up the alleged rapes.

"I thought to myself I could not make any bigger sacrifice to the (my father's) political career if I had tried.

"He asked me to let the matter go for him and I did so for him.

"I am still haunted by the sexual assaults. I feel that I may have had a chance to get over these rapes if I was able to report the incidents to police."

4. Brain cancer is now the most deadly form of the disease among Victorian children.

Brain cancer is now the most deadly form of the disease among Victorian children.

A Cancer Council Victoria report published on Monday says it has overtaken leukaemia.

Karen Spence lost her 12-year-old daughter Kiara to brain cancer in March after a decade-long fight.

She said the disease had the potential to affect anybody.

"We're not the only people going through this, there's so many. They're all doing it hard and trying to support their kids," she said.

"It's a world of its own and it's not until you're a part of it, you really don't know it exists. There's a lot of people doing it tough out there."

Mrs Spence said no family should go through what she has and more investment in brain cancer research is vital.

"Brain cancer just does so much damage - even for those who are surviving, it's not easy," she said.

"These kids don't need to suffer like that and be dealt with these life-long sentences. The treatment does need to get better."

New data released today reveals the latest five-year cancer survival has increased to 69%, however, more children are dying from brain cancer than leukaemia, despite leukaemia diagnoses being double that of brain cancer https://t.co/axsDRxHddt #mediarelease pic.twitter.com/5j6NVTBoYv

— Cancer Council Victoria (@CancerVic) December 8, 2019

Mrs Spence wants to continue to spread the message in her daughter's memory.

"My daughter isn't a statistic, she had a name and she fought her whole life to be here," she said.

"She had to deal with so much, that the least I can do is go through a bit more pain or vulnerability to help with the awareness that we are currently just not doing enough for brain cancer."

Professor Sue Evans, the director of the Victorian Cancer Registry, said that there needed to be more investment in researching the disease.

"It's hard to know whether that will make a significant improvement (in survival rates) or not, but I think that it's certainly the start," she said.

Cancer Council Victoria chief executive Todd Harper wants more funding support from private donors and government.

"Brain cancer has few treatment options and low five-year survival," he said.

"We need significant investment in dedicated research to improve outcomes for those affected, especially children."

5. Queensland will pursue hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032.

Queensland will pursue hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's cabinet on Monday gave the green light for the state government to officially bid to bring the Games to Australia for the first time since Sydney in 2000.

"We do have the capability to do this if we get everything right," she told reporters on Monday.

The cost of preparing for and hosting the international sporting event is unclear, but that will be worked out between local, state and federal governments over the next six months.

The International Olympic Committee would stump up $US1.8 billion ($A2.6 billion) towards the operating costs.

Ms Palaszczuk said securing the Games could net $7.4 billion in economic benefits for the state, accelerate infrastructure development, create about 130,000 jobs and open up new trade opportunities.

But previous Games have been a financial burden for host cities, with Los Angeles in 1984 the only one to turn a profit since the 1970s.

Southeast QLD to bid for 2032 Olympic Games, Annastacia Palaszczuk reveals. No giant new stadium, the Gabba could be upgraded for the opening ceremony, and either QEII or the Albion Park raceway could be upgraded for the athletics apparently #qldpol https://t.co/qiM3afdFZc

— Sarah Elks (@sarahelks) December 9, 2019

The NSW auditor-general said the Sydney Games cost the public around $2 billion.

London's 2012 Olympics generated $5.2 billion compared to the $18 billion shelled out in costs after its projected expenditure blew out three-fold, while several cities have backed out of recent bids over cost concerns.

Queensland already has about 80 per cent of the sporting infrastructure needed to host Games events, however, spaces to hold an athletes village and a media village are yet to be finalised.

Options include upgrading Brisbane's QEII stadium or transforming the Albion Park raceway, with the potential for an opening ceremony at an upgraded Gabba.

The announcement was welcomed by Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates.

"Hosting an Olympic Games these days is a very different beast," he said.

"The 'new norm' changes announced in 2018 ensure future hosts use existing facilities or temporary facilities.

"If there's a lasting sport and community benefit, then new facilities can play a part, but the focus is on delivering a Games that is cost-effective and flexible."

A successful bid could result in 11,000 athletes from 206 countries descending on Queensland from 23 July to August 8, 2032, with 3.2 billion people tuning in around the globe.

Ms Palaszczuk has suggested regional towns could act as training camps for international teams arriving for the Games, or host lead-up events.

She said Prime Minister Scott Morrison was more than supportive of the push for a bid during a meeting last week.

Federal sports minister Richard Colbeck said bringing the Olympics to Australia would motivate young and older Australians to get active and engage in more sport.