A machete-wielding robber, a ‘tsunami of debt’ … campaigns echoing opposition talking points outspend major partiesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man clad in a balaclava and brandishing a machete terrorises a worker at a petrol station before firebombing the building on the way out.A woman gives birth on the side of the road, unable to reach a hospital due to ambulance ramping and crater-like potholes, which also stop a fire truck in its tracks. Continue reading...
Record inundations wrecked homes and took seven lives but Trump has not approved emergency aid and the state has cut funds for environmental agenciesIt’s been 10 days since the floodwater receded from Cambridge City’s main street and yet signs of disaster are all around.Abandoned cars, toilets and bathtubs are strewn across parks and side streets on a recent visit to the city. Garages have been lifted from their foundations and moved by the rushing water. Dumpsters up and down the street are overflowing with people’s belongings, with red paint sprayed on homes indicating which houses have been cleared by water rescue teams. Continue reading...
‘My heart goes out to all the Nepalese families who are grieving loved ones,’ Cara Severino says. Follow latest updates liveCara Severino, an Australian woman in Nepal who was missing following devastated floods, has been located and is in contact with officials, Penny Wong’s office has confirmed.The foreign minister’s office confirmed overnight Severino was travelling to a safe location with the help of Australia’s consular officials, who travelled by four-wheel-drive to Kathmandu to locate her along a trekking route.This is a rare piece of positive news amid a disaster that has brought immense loss and uncertainty …I have spoken directly with her and am very pleased to know she is safe. She has also spoken with her family, which I know will be a great relief to them. Continue reading...
Festivalgoers brave rain and strong winds as ‘unsettled’ conditions expected to last over bank holiday weekendHeavy rain is expected over the weekend, forecasters have said, with people heading to major music festivals warned of unseasonably strong winds.That came after large parts of England braced for flooding on Friday. The Environment Agency (EA) issued flood alerts across the Midlands and into South Yorkshire, having earlier sent out a more-serious flood warning in the town of Nelson, Lancashire. Continue reading...
Cara Severino calls parents – but still faces trek of more than 110km to reach Kathmandu on footGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Australian woman has made contact with her family, more than two days after she was reported missing in flash flooding in Nepal.At least 469 people have been killed and more than 1,500 are missing after a catastrophic flash flood hit the China-Nepal border on Wednesday. Cara Severino, 25, is the first of 39 Australians who had been reported missing in the tragedy to have been confirmed safe. Continue reading...
• Catastrophic flash flooding struck the border region of China and Nepal on Wednesday, wiping out entire villages.
• More than 1,300 people are currently reported missing, including at least 700 foreign nationals from approximately two dozen different countries.
• The scale of the disaster highlights the extreme vulnerability of border settlements to sudden environmental crises and flash floods.
The catastrophic flash flood has killed at least 389 people and left more than 1,300 missing, with hundreds of tourists unaccounted forNearly 1,400 missing, mostly tourists, and hundreds killedVisual guide: how the deadly flooding unfoldedTell us: have you been affected by the flash floods?Chinese authorities have warned that an artificial lake formed after a catastrophic flash flood hit the China-Nepal border on Wednesday faces a “high risk of breaching and sending flood waters downstream”, according to state media.“According to forecasts, inflows into the lake could reach about 3 million cubic meters over the next three days amid continued rainfall, increasing the risk of a breach that could send flood waters downstream and potentially cause further damage in areas including Gyirong Port and elsewhere downstream”, state news agency Xinhua reported late Thursday.Rescue teams and military helicopters are searching for hundreds of missing people along the mountainous Nepal-Tibet border after a huge torrent of water and mud swept through communities following a glacier collapse on Wednesday.More than 390 people were killed, authorities in Nepal and China said, and more than 1,400 were missing, including hundreds of foreign citizens and pilgrims.More than 500 foreign citizens were among 826 people missing in Nepal, police and tourism officials said. Among those unaccounted for were 177 from India, 90 from the US, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 25 from Canada.Chinese state media said at least 558 were missing on the Tibet side of the border, of whom at least 260 were foreign nationals.UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said he ordered the release of $2m from the UN’s central emergency response fund to help with medical care, shelter and water.US president Donald Trump said the flooding was terrible to see, describing how “strong, well-built buildings were wiped out like they were toothpicks”.Nepalese officials said dozens of bridges were destroyed and nearly 40km of roads damaged, complicating search efforts.The Nepalese army had rescued more than 100 people by helicopter, an army spokesperson said. Army teams also evacuated people trapped inside facilities linked to the Trishuli hydropower project, he said.Dozens of injured people were transported to Kathmandu for medical care.Rescuers found bodies in Nepal’s Chitwan district, hundreds of kilometres downstream from the hardest-hit areas.The Nepal Red Cross Society said the agency has shifted its focus from rescue to large-scale relief operations in the flood-hit districts.China’s premier, Li Qiang, arrived on Thursday in Gyirong to direct rescue efforts, alongside 500 military and paramilitary personnel. Continue reading...
Nepali tour operator fears 15 Australians who had been on a trekking tour near border with China have died after devastating floodingA Nepali tour operator says he fears that 15 Australians trekking with his company in a valley ravaged by flash flooding have died.Sagar Pandey, the founder and chief executive of Himalayan Glacier Trekking, said he has lost all contact with his tour group of 47 people, which included 15 Australians. Continue reading...
Four-year-old boy, two men and three women among those who died since storms began on 11 August, officials sayDays of storms and flooding in Indiana left at least six people dead as flood waters peaked in Indianapolis’s White River – and rains were expected to ease in the state capital region and other parts of the state on Sunday.A four-year-old boy, two men and three women were among those who had died since the storms began on 11 August, state homeland security department spokesperson Liz Woods said. Continue reading...
• Five years after the Taliban seized power in Kabul, Afghans face a starkly divided reality where some report improvements while many others endure increasing hardship.
• Syria continues to struggle with the aftermath of over a decade of conflict, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and a massive global displacement crisis.
• These reports highlight the ongoing humanitarian challenges and slow recovery processes in regions destabilized by long-term political upheaval and war.
Weather system tied to warming sea surface expected to intensify in fall and winter, persisting until early spring 2027El Niño, a recurring climate phenomenon marked by above-average sea surface temperatures, when changes in wind patterns allow warmer water to spread across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, could spell a wet winter for portions of the western and south-eastern US, climate models show. Coastal areas may be at elevated risk of flooding, experts warn.Climate scientists predict this year’s “super” El Niño, a label assigned when sea surface temperatures climb by at least 2C, will be the strongest of the century. The weather system is expected to intensify in the fall and winter, persisting until early spring 2027, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa). Continue reading...
A ‘reasonable worst-case scenario’ suggests need for large-scale movement of populations away from reshaped coastUp to 13 million people in the UK face the long-term risk of coastal flooding due to the climate crisis, scientists have warned, with a “reasonable worst-case scenario” suggesting the need for the large-scale movement of populations away from a dramatically reshaped coast.Even if today’s global pledges to cut carbon pollution are met, about 1.4 million more people will be exposed to coastal floods in 2200 and 1.7 million in 2300 due to the sea level rise driven by melting ice caps and warming oceans. Continue reading...
Storm warnings stretch from Florida to Louisiana as Bertha brings heavy rain, flooding risk and possible tornadoesTropical Storm Bertha strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico and was moving slowly toward the Florida Panhandle and Alabama, causing a tropical storm warning and storm surge watches, forecasters said.The storm was about 110 miles (177km) south of Panama City, Florida, and 170 miles (274 km) south-east of Mobile, Alabama, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Tuesday morning. It was moving north-west at 5mph (8 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 50mph (80 kph). Continue reading...
Flash flood emergencies were issued on Thursday for parts of Kerr and Uvalde counties and Texas Hill CountrySign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email “Life threatening” flooding has taken hold in south-central Texas, where up to 20in of rain have already fallen in some areas – just one year after the same region endured catastrophic flooding that killed more than 100 people.Flash flood emergencies were issued on Thursday for parts of Kerr and Uvalde counties, where emergency crews performed water rescues, as well as areas around the Guadalupe River and the Pedernales River, according to morning updates from the National Weather Service (NWS). There have been no immediate reports of injuries or deaths. Continue reading...
Up to 16in of rain fell in some areas as forecasters warn another foot could fall, prompting rescues and road closuresSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailHeavy rains in south Texas have washed out highways and stranded motorists, with forecasters warning that more severe weather could bring dangerous flooding to already drenched counties near the border with Mexico.On Tuesday, storms dumped up to 16in of rain in some rural areas of the state, leading to the dispatch of emergency crews to make at least two dozen rescues across the region. Officials shut down parts of a highway near Ulvade, 80 miles west of San Antonio. Continue reading...
Woman dies after her home is swept away as heavy rainfall batters parts of state, forcing rescues and evacuationsA woman was found dead in Missouri on Saturday after heavy rainfall battered parts of the state the previous day, forcing numerous emergency rescues and evacuations, including at a summer camp with more than 200 children.The body of Faith Gregory, who went missing in Missouri’s Crawford county after her home was swept away from its foundation, was found by volunteers late Saturday morning. Her body was discovered about 1.8 miles (3km) downstream from her residence in Huzzah creek, according to the county sheriff’s office. Continue reading...
Another 20 people were rescued from a campground after a building collapsed due to heavy rain and floodingHeavy rainfall and widespread flooding battered parts of Missouri on Friday, forcing the helicopter evacuations of more than 200 children and staff from a summer camp and the rescues of about 20 people who had moved to safety on a campground building that then collapsed.With nearby roads washed away and more rain in the forecast, the children were trapped at Camp Taum Sauk in the small south-eastern community of Lesterville, according Sgt Eddie Young of the state’s highway patrol. The army national guard used Black Hawk helicopters to fly them to a nearby elementary school and reunite them with their families, he said. Continue reading...
Local media in Hengzhou report king ratsnakes and cobras among hundreds in flood waters caused by typhoon MaysakHundreds of snakes, including cobras, have escaped from flooded breeding farms in southern China as severe storms continue to batter parts of the country.State media reported that a snake farm in Hengzhou, in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was hit by flood waters after days of heavy rainfall caused by typhoon Maysak, prompting warnings for nearby residents. Continue reading...
Wet weather to batter parts of Queensland, NSW and Tasmania through Thursday, with warnings of flash floodingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMultiple states are at risk of flash flooding on Thursday, with severe weather warnings issued in New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania.Ilana Cherny, a senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said the wet weather battering eastern Australia was being driven by a broad low-pressure trough that had drawn in “a lot of tropical moisture across the region”. Continue reading...
Twelve dead as southern and central areas also suffer travel disruption, electricity outages and evacuationsHeavy, prolonged rainfall in southern and central China has resulted in weather warnings for flash flooding, landslides and waterlogging. The band of rainfall spanned 1,000km (620 miles) and steadily moved eastwards across the regions on Tuesday. It was a slow-moving band of rain, formed from the convergence of multiple bands originating from the Bay of Bengal, South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.Coupled with low wind speeds, high daily and hourly rainfall totals have been recorded, with as much as 75mm locally in Hunan, 85mm in Anhui in a 24-hour period and 95mm on the island of Hainan. As a result of flooding, 12 people have died and hundreds of residents have been evacuated by emergency services. There were major travel disruptions, electricity outages, as well as school and business closures. Along the flooded streets, social media posts showed submerged cars and people fishing. Continue reading...
Flood warning in place on Gold Coast. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRestricting welfare to citizens not ‘punishing’ but ‘incentivising’, shadow minister saysThe shadow immigration minister, Jonno Duniam, has said Angus Taylor’s budget reply proposal to limit welfare payments only to Australian citizens was not a punishment for permanent residents but to “incentivise that pathway to Australian citizenship”But they’ll still have to wait under the visa system a number of years, in almost all cases, to receive the kinds of welfare benefits that you are talking about.And, in many cases now, under Labor’s current approach, there are wait times between 4 and 10 years for various supports that people may want to take advantage of.We want to ensure that we have houses for them to live in.And can I say – we want to preserve for those who eventually become Australian citizens, which I hope is all of them that want to come here, the services that we provide in this country. Continue reading...
Exclusive: 839,000 homes in urban areas face threat of surface-water flooding, with social housing tenants most vulnerable to costsEight in 10 of the homes that are at high risk of flooding in England are now in towns and cities, according to analysis by the National Housing Federation (NHF), which said social housing tenants are disproportionately vulnerable to the financial cost.Research found that 839,000 homes in urban areas are now classed as being at high risk of surface water flooding, a threefold increase since 2018. Continue reading...
Heatwaves reach 45C across India as unseasonably cold weather affects parts of central CanadaWidespread heavy rain is sweeping over southern China. By Wednesday, rainfall totals are expected to exceed 100mm across many parts of Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces, and in some areas as much as 150-200mm.As a result, the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management have been holding meetings with meteorological and hydrological departments to emphasise the importance of reinforced patrols and emergency responses to mitigate against the probable flooding that the intense rainfall is expected to bring. In particular, reservoirs with known safety concerns must remain empty during the period, as well as through the coming rainy season. Continue reading...
People evacuated on Oahu and Maui as rains lifted houses and cars, swept through grocery stores and left a layer of mud in streetsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHawaii is coming to grips with the extensive damage left by the worst flooding the islands have seen in more than 20 years.Over the weekend, heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago, forcing thousands on the North Shore of Oahu to evacuate before more evacuations for parts of the island of Maui. Continue reading...
People in hard-hit areas of Oahu and Maui told to evacuate with still more rain expected over the weekendAs Hawaii endures its worst flooding in more than 20 years, officials urged people in hard-hit areas to “LEAVE NOW”. That warning early on Saturday came after heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago, and still more was expected over the weekend.Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu’s North Shore, a community renowned for its big-wave surfing. Raging waters lifted homes and cars and prompted evacuation orders for 5,500 people north of Honolulu. Authorities cautioned that a 120-year-old dam could fail. Continue reading...
Rain fell between 1 and 2in hourly in Maui, Molokai and the Big Island while tens of thousands are without powerRain continued falling in Hawaii on Sunday where a strong storm brought flash flooding, blizzard conditions and landslides to the islands as residents reported collapsed roads and one home washing away in rising waters.Flash flooding has been a major problem in recent days in places such as Maui, Molokai and the Big Island, where rain had been falling between 1 and 2in (2.5 and 5cm) an hour overnight, according to the Hawaii emergency management agency. Continue reading...
