Concerns have grown for Brisbane man Hazem Hamouda who has now spent over a year falsely detained in Cairo jail.

Just minutes after the beginning of what he thought would be the vacation of a lifetime, the devoted father of six was whisked away by Egyptian security.

Egyptian authorities accuse him of being associated with the banned Muslim Brotherhood and spreading false information — but no charges have been laid.

Measles cases in Europe tripled between 2017 and 2018 to over 82 000 - the highest number recorded this decade according to data from the world health organization.

While vaccination rates are improving, the World Health Organisation  says coverage is not high enough to prevent circulation of the virus in many countries.

Ukraine reported the highest number of measles cases last year with over 53 000, more than 10 times that of the next highest, Serbia.

The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa 2 will attempt to collect a sample from an asteroid on 22 February.

During sample collection, the spacecraft will approach the 1km-wide asteroid with an instrument called the sampler horn.

The spacecraft will embark on this three-and-a-half year journey from Earth.

The Tasmanian Labor Party has abandoned its hard-line gambling policy to remove poker machines from bars and clubs 11 months on from election loss.

Labor leader Rebecca White told ABC Hobart her party could no longer pursue its policy of removing poker machines from pubs and clubs because the Hodgman Liberal Government was planning to bring in legislation for a new licence deed in this term.

That is in contrast to comments Ms White made shortly after the March 2018 election, where she said Labor remained committed to the promise to remove the machines.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries says 99.8% of the state continues to experience drought conditions, despite some relief from summer storms.

Some areas have experienced its lowest January rainfall in 100 years, and for many others, it's been the driest for 20 years.

Farm water supplies remain critically low in western and southern NSW.

The Sunshine Coast Council now looks set to spend the "pennies” needed for Kenil- worth's designer dunny.

According to a council report, it is hoped construction will begin next month on the structure at Isaac Moore Park and work is planned to be complete by the second half of the financial year.

Councillors late last year unanimously adopted the project progress report which said funding for the construction cost of $635,000 included a $35,000 contingency fund.

The monsoon trough that has flooded north and western Queensland could become a cyclone as it hovers over the Coral Sea.

The Bureau of Meteorology says conditions are perfect for the system to gain strength offshore, and potentially head back toward the east coast.

Any more rain would be deeply unwelcome, as communities recover from record flooding.