Bushfire threat finally eases but warnings to last days
An emergency alert has been downgraded for a bushfire that has had communities on edge but the blaze is expected to keep burning for days.
Disaster and Accident
No methanol or illicits detected in cocktail, Fiji says
Forensic testing of cocktail ingredients at a Fijian resort where seven people fell ill with suspected poisoning has found no evidence of methanol.
More Aussies heading home after deadly Vanuatu quake
Two more RAAF planes are set to bring home Australians stranded in Vanuatu following a 7.3 magnitude earthquake, as rescue and recovery efforts continue.
More Australians on the way home from quake-hit Vanuatu
Two more defence flights will bring stranded Australians home from quake-hit Vanuatu as rescue efforts continue amid severe damage and looming cyclone threats.
Evacuations as fires rage in nation’s east
Evacuation orders are in place for an out-of-control fire in Victoria as blazes and sweltering temperatures begin Australia's bushfire season.
Blazes force evacuations amid rising risk of Xmas fires
Firefighters are working around the clock to prepare for sweltering Boxing Day conditions as warnings for several major blazes are downgraded.
Four-year-old boy dies in WA house fire
A heartbroken Western Australian family is mourning the death of a four-year-old boy who died in a house fire just days before Christmas.
Ready to burn: travellers urged to reconsider travel
Millions of residents and travellers across the country are being warned to be on high alert as the risk of Christmas-week infernos intensifies.
Christmas inferno fears spark total fire bans
Total fire bans have been declared in two states over the Christmas break as emergency services prepare for the worst conditions since Black Summer.
Australia urged to power ahead on EV charger rollout
Australia is not moving fast enough on vehicle charging and is holding back apartment dwellers, one of the country's biggest energy firms says.
Grave fears for boy swept off rocks into sea
A multi-agency search is underway to find a boy swept off rocks and into the sea while with a group of friends on a popular beach.
End of the world: tsunami seared into survivors’ minds
December 26 marks 20 years since a monster earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people including 26 Australians.
‘Most perfect son’ feared dead after swept off rocks
Tributes are flowing in for 15-year-old Luca Bennett as rescue crews scale back a search for the teenager after he was swept off rocks at a popular beach.
Two fighting for life after suspicious house blaze
Three residents are in hospital, with two of them in a critical condition, after a house fire authorities suspect was deliberately lit.
Body of boy found after swept off rocks to sea
Rescuers have found the body of Luca Bennett, his family says, after dolphins were seen circling near where the teen was swept off rocks at a popular beach.
Bushfire destroys homes as calmer conditions on horizon
Stable conditions and cooler weather are giving firefighters welcome relief as initial damage assessments reveal at least three homes have been lost to fire.
Crocodile count raises concerns about swimming holes
Fifty years after almost being wiped out in the Top End, the number of crocodiles is raising alarms about new places the apex predator is lurking.
Financial help on its way as bushfires hit livelihoods
Farmers, tourism operators and others suffering income loss following a huge bushfire will be eligible for financial support.
Laws to rev up electric car race at starting line
Australia's automotive industry will look different in 2025 after a change in laws inspires a long list of electric and plug-in hybrid challengers.
Roosters half’s ‘heavy burden’ for man he pinned by car
A man was left with gruesome injuries and lost two toes after his foot was pinned under a car in a "freakish accident" involving rising NRL player Sandon Smith.
Hillcrest families launch class action against state
Families of the children killed and hurt in Tasmania's Hillcrest Primary School jumping castle tragedy have launched a class action.
‘Climate whiplash’: threat rises of cascading disasters
Australians are being put on alert: our summers are becoming more erratic, with experts forecasting a season of heavy rain and warm weather - and bushfires.
Flash flooding, rescues after major storms
A torrent of rain fell within an hour, turning roads into rivers, submerging cars and trapping drivers who tried to cross floodwaters during sudden storms.
Home lost, people told to flee Great Ocean Road towns
Tourists have been evacuated and people in Great Ocean Road towns have been told to leave immediately as Victoria's bushfire emergency claims at least one home.
Bushfires ease but too early to tally property losses
Fire crews have made ground in battling blazes in Victoria's west and southwest, declaring one contained and slowing another.
Cops warned driver about speed days before fatal crash
A man who fatally crushed two people on an iconic Sydney bridge while speeding to the casino was warned by police 10 days earlier at the same site.
Woman dead, child hurt in kindergarten crash tragedy
A driver is understood to have suffered a medical episode when his truck hit a kindergarten, killing a woman and injuring a child weeks after a similar tragedy.
Probe into Qantas ‘loud bang’ engine fail, runway fire
Passengers heard a loud bang as a Qantas jet suffered engine failure on take-off, sparking a grass fire, emergency landing and hours of chaos at Sydney Airport.
Water alert as lifesavers try to stem record drownings
Lifesavers are calling on Victorians to be prepared and brush up on water safety before they go swimming, as they launch their summer patrol season.
Technology making change amid quad bike crash spike
Accidents on quad bikes are a major cause of death and injury on Australian farms, but GPS technology is helping change bad habits and reduce harm.
Gaza crisis warning as Israeli aid agency ban condemned
Australia has joined a chorus of countries including Britain and Canada in condemning Israel's move to ban a Palestinian aid agency it accuses of terror links.