Accused Christmas market killer held on murder charges
The man accused of ramming his car into a crowded Christmas market in Germany has been charged with five counts of murder and multiple other serious offences.
emergency incident
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.
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.
Third town told to leave immediately as bushfire rages
Residents in the Grampians towns of Bornes Hill, Moyston and Pomonal have been told to leave immediately and seek shelter as a bushfire threat is imminent.
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.
Wind change fans unpredictable fires as towns evacuated
Dozens of communities have been urged to leave or take shelter as an out-of-control bushfire was fuelled further by gusty winds on a day of extreme conditions.
‘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.
Azerbaijan plane downed by Russian air defences: report
There is mounting speculation an Azerbaijan Airlines flight that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day was downed by a Russian air defence system.
Bushfire rages but cool change a chance to check damage
The threat of bushfires will linger in Victoria's already-scorched Grampians region even after hot and windy conditions move north.
Crash over Kazakhstan caused by “external interference”
Russia says it will not comment on the cause of the Azerbaijan Airline plane crash until its official investigation is complete.
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.
S.Korea probes all air operations after plane disaster
South Korea's entire airline system is undergoing an urgent safety check as officials scramble to learn what caused a plane crash that killed 179 people.
Major damage in Vanuatu earthquake, deaths feared
A response effort is underway in Port Vila after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Vanuatu.
Ukraine claims killing of top Russian general in Moscow
A bomb has killed a senior Russian general in charge of nuclear protection forces and another man in Moscow, state media reported.
‘Profound day’: family mourn Laos poisoning victim
A teenager who died after consuming a methanol-laced drink in Laos has been farewelled at her former school with a community guard of honour.
Storms, flood alerts for NSW regions as Sydney mops up
More wild weather is forecast for parts of Australia's east after areas of Sydney were battered by damaging storms overnight.
‘Nightmare’: PM’s tribute after teen’s methanol death
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to Melbourne teenager Bianca Jones following her death from suspected methanol poisoning in Laos.
‘At peace’: teenager’s family confirms methanol death
Holly Bowles has become the sixth person and second Australian to die after a suspected methanol poisoning event in Laos, her family has confirmed.
‘Gone too soon’: grieving community mourns two teens
Tributes are flowing as a community mourns two Melbourne teenagers who died from suspected methanol poisoning while on holiday in Laos.
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.
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.
Kinder worker’s family mourns ‘light of our lives’
The family of Eleanor Bryant, killed as a truck crashed into a kindergarten in Victoria, has paid tribute to the mother-of-two as mourners laid flowers.
Flight hit by gunfire, Haiti’s main airport shuts down
A passenger plane from the US was hit by gunfire as it tried to land in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.
Tributes for ‘much-loved’ gran killed in horror crash
A grandmother is being honoured for her love and generosity after dying in a crash involving a car allegedly stolen by a teenager at gun point.
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.
Massive flood recovery in Spain as death toll hits 211
Spain is mounting its biggest peacetime disaster recovery operation as the death toll from catastrophic floods continues to rise.
North Gaza ‘apocalyptic,’ all at imminent risk: UN
The entire Palestinian population in northern Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence, the United Nations warns.
At least 36 dead after bus plunges into gorge in India
At least 36 people have been killed after a passenger bus skidded into a gorge in northern India.