news

Wednesday afternoon's news in under five minutes.

1. AirAsia flight QZ8501: Tail of plane found, says Indonesia’s search and rescue chief.

The tail of AirAsia flight QZ8501 has been found, Indonesia’s search and rescue chief says.

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Bambang Soelitsyo, the chief of Basarnas, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, told reporters in Jakarta recovery teams found the tail of the plane in the Java Sea.

“We have successfully obtained part of the plane that has been our target. The tail portion has been confirmed found,” he said.

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The tail is the section where the crucial black box voice and flight data recorders are located.

AirAsia group chief executive Tony Fernandes acknowledged the announcement in a post on his Twitter account.

“I am led to believe the tail section has been found. If right part of tail section then the black box should be there,” he tweeted.

“We need to find all parts soon so we can find all [our] guests to ease the pain of our families. That still is our priority.”

A version of this story was originally published on ABC and has been republished with full permission.

2. Emergency warning issued for bushfire in western Victoria.

An emergency warning has been issued for an out-of-control bushfire at Glenisla Crossing and Cherrypool in Victoria’s west.

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) said the fire was travelling in an easterly direction from Black Range State Park, which borders Grampians National Park.

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The Henty Highway has been closed from the Brimpaen-Laharum Road to East-West Road at Mooralla.

The CFA said it was too late for those in the area to leave and the safest option was to take shelter indoors.

A version of this story was originally published on ABC and has been republished with full permission.

3. Australia revises travel update on India, warns of possible terror attack in Mumbai

Australians travelling to India are being warned militants could be planning another attack in Mumbai.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has updated its advice to travellers, warning militants could be planning another terror attack against upmarket hotels in India’s largest city.

“We continue to receive reports that terrorists are planning attacks in India and assess that attacks could occur anywhere at any time with little or no warning, including in locations frequented by Australians,” DFAT said on its Smart Traveller website.

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“We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in India because of the high threat of terrorist activity, civil unrest and crime.”

Photographers run past the burning Taj Mahal Hotel during a gun battle in Mumbai in 2008.

DFAT yesterday updated its advice to those travelling to Indonesia, urging Australians to “exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia, including Bali”.

It said the alert level had not changed, but had been updated to include a high threat of terrorist attack.

The advisory on Tuesday comes after the US government warned of a potential threat against US-linked hotels and banks in the East Java city of Surabaya.

Australian National University counter-terrorism expert Clarke Jones said the alerts are probably based on advice from security agencies.

“These warnings would come from intelligence sources or security sources, possibly police sources in both countries, but Australia has very good ties with the US and India in relation to intelligence security agencies,” he told ABC News 24.

“There is a responsibility of those countries to report anything that might be [of concern] to Australian citizens.

“I don’t think there is any relationship between the threats in both countries but Indonesia has a long history of terrorism and political activists or militants in Indonesia. India has its own internal issues with militant groups.”

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Dr Jones said travellers should be cautious, but did not need to avoid travelling to the countries altogether.

“Be aware and stay away from protest groups or large gatherings and the usual security precautions when you travel to these countries,” he said.

A version of this story was originally published on ABC and has been republished with full permission.

4. Microsoft unveils its cheapest ever internet phone.

Microsoft’s new Nokia 215 costs a measly £19 (that’s Australian $35) and has a whopping one-month battery life.

It is also internet enabled and comes with a built in Opera Mini Browser and Facebook Messenger.

Nokia 215.

According to CNET the new Nokia will go on sale in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe within the first three months of this year.

The new phone is likely to appeal to those in the budget market — especially those in developing countries — and  is built to be durable, with a battery lasting up to 29 days on standby.

Watch more from the ABC in the video below.

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