Rivers set to peak in Victoria, and all the news women are talking about today.

Residents along several swollen Victorian rivers are bracing for the worst with record-breaking flooding predicted in the state's north.

Emergency warnings remain in place for multiple areas, including Shepparton, Murchison, Echuca, Kialla, Mooroopna, Orrvale, Charlton Barnadown and Elmore.

In Echuca, residents and holiday makers were early on Monday being told to immediately leave amid concerns people could become stranded by the floodwaters.

Echuca, Victoria.

This city is in for a challenging week.

Full coverage of the flood crisis tonight at 7pm and tomorrow on @BreakfastNews. pic.twitter.com/0FDW2mVVjg

— Michael Rowland (@mjrowland68) October 16, 2022

The Goulburn River at Shepparton reached 11.88 metres on Sunday and continued to rise overnight, with major flooding expected when it hits its peak on Monday at 12.2 metres.

That is higher than the 1974 flood level of 12.09m, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

Images show buildings in the middle of town surrounded by a vast inland sea of brown muddy water, and residents using sandbags to protect properties.

About 9000 residents are currently affected by the flooding with many cut off in their communities amid the rising waters.

The Victorian State Emergency Service has received over 4750 calls for help, including more than 500 flood rescue requests, since Wednesday when heavy rainfall lashed the state.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said many people were doing it tough.

Rochester in Victoria has seen devastation from the floods. Premier @DanielAndrewsMP and I saw first hand today how the rising water has damaged homes and businesses. Sadly, one person has lost their life. pic.twitter.com/LZnCcrn87i

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 16, 2022

"It's heartbreaking to think that for many people this is the third or fourth time in 18 months that their lives have been disrupted by a natural disaster of this magnitude," he said of the floods that swept across Victoria, NSW and Tasmania in recent days.

Disaster recovery payments have been made available to residents in 23 local government areas and a 250-bed camp for displaced people will be opened at the former COVID-19 quarantine facility in Mickleham. 

About 100 ADF personnel have also been deployed to help with evacuations and sandbagging in the worst-hit areas.

- With AAP

Ghislaine Maxwell has given her first interview in prison, using it to back claims made by Prince Andrew that an infamous photo of him with a teenage Virginia Roberts Giuffre is a fake. 

Speaking to The Sun, the convicted sex trafficker said "This photo is not real...There was never an original one produced."

"I feel so bad for him. I follow what is happening to him," she added. 

The infamous photo of Prince Andrew, Virginia and Ghislaine. 

 

Taken at Maxwell's townhouse in London in March 2001, the photo shows Andrew's hand around Virginia's waist, with Ghislaine in the background, smiling.

Earlier this year, Prince Andrew settled a civil lawsuit with Virginia, who has accused him of sexually abusing her when she was 17. 

Ghislaine said her critics have accepted a false version of her as the "wicked witch" in Jeffrey Epstein's story.

"All this is a fictional version of me...It has been created to fit the storyline. It has absolutely nothing to do with who I am," she said.

For more on Ghislaine's life and crimes, listen to Mamamia's True Crime Conversations. 

Little Miss Sunshine actor Abigail Breslin has shared her past experiences with DV for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, detailing two years of violent abuse. 

"As a DV survivor I felt compelled to write a little bit about my story. I was in a very abusive relationship for close to 2 years," the 26-year-old wrote on her Instagram. 

"I was beaten on a regular basis, locked into rooms and forced to pretend everything was ok and normal while dealing with intense injuries… injuries most people didn't even see," she wrote.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Abigail Breslin/SOPHOMORE (@abbienormal9)

She says her abuser took advantage of her innocence and naivete, and the relationship subsequently became violent. 

"I would use concealer and caked on foundation to hide any and all bruises because in some way, I still cared for this person. 

"The physical injuries were also accompanied by a plethora of put downs, shaming and harsh verbal abuse. I felt so unworthy of anyone's love. I felt ugly and hated. I felt like I deserved less than dirt."

Breslin credits her friends and family for helping her leave her situation, and still has complex-PTSD from her experience. 

If this has raised any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.

We’re now eight months into a war in Ukraine, that Vladimir Putin had reportedly expected to take just a few days when his troops invaded back in February.

Now, a bridge - a source of pride for the Russian president - has been hit. In retaliation, missiles rained down on civilians and infrastructure as the war spirals more and more out of control. 

Today, we get the low down on Russia’s tactics as they continue to fight what seems to be a losing battle and where we can possibly go from here. 

Feature image: AAP Image/Diego Fedele.