Towns deserted as locals seek relief from roasting heat
As parts of Australia bake under a relentless heatwave, locals have backup plans to keep cool as temperatures nudge record levels.
disaster and accident
Bushfire season takes toll with hundreds of homes lost
Out-of-control bushfires continue to ravage one Australian state, as authorities warn the peak fire danger period still has months to run.
‘Really shocked’: pilot remembered after fiery crash
Investigators have begun sifting through a "complex accident scene" after two people were killed in a fiery plane crash north of the Gold Coast.
Cooling greenery overlooked lever to blunt heatwaves
Australia's southern states are facing unprecedented heat that researchers say could be tempered with a focus on revegetation and urban greening.
‘Very scared’: floods trigger rescues, evacuation plans
Days after taking over, new publicans Tayla and Braydon Wellby were forced to seek higher ground as flooding inundated the region - including their hotel.
Wrecked cars choppered out of surf as fire threat grows
More than a dozen vehicles have been choppered out of the surf following flash floods as bushfires place state emergency services under further strain.
Six hurt as Spanish train hits crane in new rail crash
Six people have been slightly injured after a commuter train struck a crane in southeastern Spain, authorities say.
Six people confirmed missing after NZ landslide
Authorities in New Zealand are working to contact three more people in addition to the six confirmed missing after a landslide on North Island.
Outcry as Swiss bar owner released on bail after fire
Italy's prime minister has called the decision to release a Swiss bar owner charged over a deadly fire an "insult" to the victims' families.
Schoolboy loses fight for life after shark attack
Nico Antic, 12, has died from critical injuries suffered when bitten by a shark at a popular swimming spot.
Italy recalls envoy after Swiss bar fire suspect freed
Italy's prime minister has called the release on bail of the owner of a Swiss bar that caught fire "an affront to the memory of the victims".
Italy fury at Swiss bar owner release ‘understandable’
Swiss President Guy Parmelin says he understands outrage among Italian politicians about the release of the owner of a bar where a deadly fire broke out.
Aussie towns among world’s hottest in ‘unheard of’ heat
Multiple temperature records have been broken in sweltering conditions across several states, with some Australian towns recording their hottest day ever.
How swimmers can stay safe from surging shark attacks
Swimmers are being encouraged to stay 'shark smart' after four recent attacks, as attention turns to safety measures designed to control the apex predators.
‘Changed forever’: disaster zones face long recovery
With hundreds of structures destroyed and livestock lost in fires and floods, large parts of rural Australia will never be the same amid ongoing disasters.
Bushfire losses mount as premier defends fleeing mob
Volunteer firefighters are "blaming themselves" for being unable to lessen the devastation wrought by an ongoing bushfire crisis, a fire chief says.
Crane falls on a train in Thailand, killing at least 30
A train travelling from Thailand's capital has derailed after a construction crane fell on one of its carriages, killing 30 people and injuring many others.
Bushfires spark inquiry call as funding debate rages
Underfunding has been blamed for the scale of losses from ferocious bushfires but state authorities insist conditions made containment impossible.
At least 32 killed after crane falls on Thai train
A construction crane has crashed onto a moving passenger train in northeastern Thailand, triggering a derailment that killed at least 32 people.
Another crane collapse in Thailand, killing two people
Two people are dead after a construction crane collapsed in Thailand, a day after a crane accident caused the deaths of 32 train passengers.
Emergency crews battle fire and flood across one state
Little relief is expected from rain at key firegounds in one state, where communities are also assessing the damage after a record deluge burst river banks.
‘I think I’m going to die’: teen saved after 80m fall
A teenager has reunited with his rescuers after "hand me down" AirPods helped locate him following an 80m fall from a mountain in a national park.
Family watches cars, tents, wallets wash away in floods
A camper has described watching helplessly as her family's possessions were swept away in a dramatic flood event at a popular tourist spot.
Body found as search for plane crash victims continues
Indonesian authorities have located a body and the wreckage of a plane carrying 10 people that came down near a fog-covered mountain in South Sulawesi.
Clean-up begins as deadly, damaging storms move on
Residents are returning to their homes after rapidly rising floodwaters and storms pummelled Australia's east coast, prompting thousands of emergency incidents.
Chile declares state of catastrophe after deadly fires
Sixteen people have died and tens of thousands have fled as wildfires devastate southern Chile.
Beaches closed after third shark attack in two days
Authorities have closed multiple Sydney beaches as a man fights for his life following the third shark attack in just two days.
Spain begins three days of mourning after train crash
Emergency workers are still looking for bodies among the wreckage of two high-speed trains that collided in southern Spain, leaving at least 40 people dead.
No safety checks at site of Swiss bar fire since 2019
Fire safety inspections hadn't been carried out for several years at the Swiss bar where a fire that broke out at a New Year's party left 40 people dead.
Three people missing, homes razed as more fires ignite
Catastrophic bushfire conditions are worsening with fears damaging winds and lightning strikes will add to the dozens of destructive blazes raging in one state.
Hellish bushfire crisis claims homes and livelihoods
Dozens of properties have been destroyed at multiple fire scenes as fire-fighters described confronting scenes of danger and destruction.