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7568 articles · page 142 of 158 · The World front page
At least 177 people have been confirmed dead and more than 1,300 remain missing after a catastrophic flash flood struck the Himalayan region, affecting both Nepal and China, according to officials from both countries. Rescue teams are racing against time as the scale of the disaster becomes clearer, with authorities expecting the number of casualties to climb.
· 2 sourcesSurvivors of last week's devastating floods in Nepal fear that more bodies remain buried under mud, as search and rescue operations continue in hard-hit areas. The new fears emerged as residents in Dhading district described seeing loved ones swept away by torrential waters.
· 2 sourcesCatastrophic flooding across Nepal has claimed at least 180 lives and left more than 1,400 people missing, with authorities warning that the death toll is likely to climb sharply as rescue teams reach isolated areas and families desperately search for relatives swept away by the deluge.
The Chinese government has removed videos of a devastating flood that tore through the border area between Tibet and Nepal from social media platforms, a move that critics say could impede rescue operations and limit transparency. The New York Times reported on Thursday that censors acted swiftly to delete user-generated content, raising questions about information flow during the disaster.
Preliminary investigations by scientists have identified a collapsed glacier as the likely cause of devastating floods that struck the Nepal-Tibet border region, renewing concerns about the accelerating melt of Himalayan ice and the growing threat of glacial lake outburst floods.
President Donald Trump has demonstrated commanding strength in Republican primaries, but his persistently low approval ratings threaten to become a liability in the 2026 midterm elections, where swing voters may outweigh the party base that has rallied behind him.
The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Nepal has climbed past 800, with more than 3,000 people still missing — including 42 Australians — as rescue teams struggle to reach isolated areas. The disaster has struck a region that has experienced an economic boom even as natural disasters have repeatedly hit.
· 4 sourcesPrime Minister Anthony Albanese has intervened to guarantee that Australia's annual refugee intake will not be cut next financial year, shutting down plans by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to reduce the quota by one-third to 13,750. The move comes amid anger from Labor MPs and refugee advocates, and follows reports that the government was considering a sharp reduction in the humanitarian program as part of its response to migration pressures.
· 2 sourcesAt least 35 Australian tourists are among those caught up in a devastating flash flood in Nepal, with two young brothers and families from Brisbane and Sydney desperately seeking news of missing loved ones, according to reports on Thursday.
· 9 sourcesPrime Minister Anthony Albanese has scrapped a plan to reduce Australia's refugee intake, overriding his Immigration Minister Tony Burke and potentially jeopardising the government's target to cut net overseas migration to 225,000 per year by 2027-28, as set in the May budget.
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is leading a group of Senate Democrats in forcing a floor vote on a resolution that would require the Biden administration to report on human rights abuses by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank. The move, announced Wednesday, comes as violence against Palestinians has surged and progressive lawmakers demand that U.S. military aid be conditioned on adherence to international law.
A deadly flash flood in Nepal’s Himalayan region has damaged roads and destroyed dozens of bridges, severely impeding search-and-rescue operations and the delivery of humanitarian aid, according to aid groups. The torrent, which struck late last week, has left many remote villages isolated as authorities struggle to reach survivors.
After weeks of intensified Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, analysts say the kingdom and the Iranian-backed militia are on the brink of a full-blown military confrontation, potentially reigniting a devastating conflict in Yemen and widening the regional proxy war with Iran.
Research has found that some of the most vulnerable children and young people in the UK care system are deliberately self-harming to avoid being discharged from therapeutic facilities, fearing that recovery or reaching the age of 18 will lead to a ‘cliff edge’ of no further support. Psychotherapist Abi Booth, who works with children in care, called the situation ‘catastrophic’ and warned that young people are hurting themselves to keep their place in care.
The Queensland government has conceded that its new ‘breach bail, go to jail’ laws, which impose a mandatory 12-month jail sentence on some offenders as young as 10, violate human rights and risk exacerbating overcrowding in youth detention centres, police watch houses, and adult prisons, according to documents tabled with the legislation on Thursday.
· 2 sourcesA torrent of mud, water, and ice swept through villages in the Himalayas over the past 48 hours, killing at least 273 people and leaving more than 1,000 missing in Nepal and the Tibet region of China. Rescue teams are now scouring steep valleys for survivors as officials warn the death toll is likely to rise.
The Australian federal government has softened its stance on powering new data centres, abandoning initial plans to require renewable-only energy and instead permitting coal and gas under new standards to be legislated in early 2027, a move welcomed by Queensland and the Northern Territory but criticised by environmental advocates.
Locals across Indonesia’s Borneo island are battling to breathe as smoke from wildfires turns the air toxic, according to reports from the region. The blazes, which have intensified in recent weeks, are blanketing communities in thick haze, forcing schools to close and sending residents to hospitals with respiratory complaints.
An inquest has heard that do-it-yourself and YouTube-inspired lithium-ion battery modifications and repairs on e-bikes are causing fires, some of which have been deadly, prompting urgent calls for stricter safety measures and public education.
The death of a 16-year-old girl in what police are investigating as a case of consensual sexual strangulation with her 16-year-old boyfriend has sparked a national conversation about the role of online pornography in shaping young people's understanding of sex and relationships. Authorities are still investigating the incident, but commentators are pointing to the widespread availability of violent porn as a contributing factor to such tragedies.
Chinese state media has reported ‘significant’ casualties at a port on the border with Nepal, though no further details have been provided about the cause or scale of the incident. The report, which originated from official Chinese sources, marks a rare acknowledgment of a major event in the strategically sensitive Himalayan corridor but has not been independently verified.
The Queensland parliament has passed a controversial critical minerals bill granting extraordinary powers to accelerate mining and processing projects, with last-minute amendments that calmed some farming groups but left other critics, including environmental advocates and community representatives, voicing concerns about weakened oversight and long-term costs.
The Fair Work Commission has declared that working from home is now entrenched across Australian workplaces but rejected union arguments that this widespread adoption justified further regulatory intervention, in a major ruling that contrasts directly with the rationale used by Victoria to introduce its own WFH laws.
The New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has questioned Anita Perrottet, the wife of former Premier Charles Perrottet, about messages that were deleted or went missing, as the Operation Rosny inquiry prepares to hear from Charles Perrottet and fugitive developer Jean Nassif next week. Nassif, who is wanted in Australia on fraud charges, will appear via video link from overseas.
· 6 sourcesThe Australian government has confirmed that 39 Australian citizens are among the more than 1,400 people missing after devastating flash floods swept through remote regions near the Nepal-Tibet border, as families across the country grapple with uncertainty and await news of their loved ones.
· 4 sourcesThe Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has been granted expanded powers to secretly question individuals, after an unusual alliance of left and right politicians failed to block the legislation. The new laws, passed with bipartisan government support, allow the domestic spy agency to detain and interrogate people in secret, without access to a lawyer or oversight.
Carlton coach Josh Fraser has declared he has no fear about fielding his youthful side in the high-stakes AFL wildcard clash at the MCG, while St Kilda have made a dramatic list call by axing their No.3 draft pick in a clear signal of a new direction under the club’s rebuild.
· 3 sourcesJeroen Weimar, who led Victoria’s pandemic response and later became secretary of the Department of Transport and Planning, is leaving his role — the most senior public servant to depart since Premier Ben Carroll took office.
· 3 sourcesDolly Parton’s film career may have been a side note to her legendary music, but her screen presence proved unforgettable, according to a new retrospective. From the fearless heroine of 9 to 5 to the witty salon owner in Steel Magnolias, Parton left behind a pantheon of sassy women who will live forever in popular culture.
· 3 sourcesFunerals began on Thursday for 14 infants who died in a fire at the Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, as grieving parents demanded a full investigation into the tragedy and accountability for those responsible.
Search and rescue teams are continuing to scour remote waters off the Northern Territory coast on Thursday for the wreckage of a plane belonging to Tasmanian pilot Bob Bramley, who crashed on Tuesday. Bramley's family has described the incident as a 'great loss', as authorities work to locate the aircraft and determine the cause of the crash.
A proposed AI data centre in north-west Tasmania would rely on a combination of trucked-in water and rainwater for its cooling systems, according to plans submitted by Firmus Technologies. The project, which has now opened for public submissions, has sparked questions about water sourcing and environmental impact in a region known for its agricultural and ecological sensitivity.
A parliamentary report has revealed that 40 children who went missing from UK hotels housing asylum seekers have still not been found, prompting MPs and peers to demand ministers explain what they are doing to locate them. The joint committee on human rights said it welcomed the fact that most of the 472 missing children had been found, but that it was 'extremely concerned' about the rest, two of whom are believed to still be under 18.
At least 12 people have died as more than 150 wildfires erupted across several provinces in northeastern Algeria in a single day, authorities reported on Wednesday. The blazes scorched vast areas of forest and farmland, prompting mass evacuations and stretching emergency resources thin.
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a prominent Cuban dissident and artist released from prison after more than three years, is now settling into life in Miami—unpacking 4,000 paintings and facing a growing chorus of criticism from fellow exiles who view his departure as too cozy with the Castro regime. The controversy centers on a farewell toast of whiskey he shared with his former captors before leaving the island.
· 2 sourcesIsraeli artillery attacks, air raids, and ground incursions continue against targets in Syria and Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera, even as the United States publicly advocates for a diplomatic resolution to the violence. The persistent operations are raising questions about whether Washington is willing or able to enforce its stated preference for de-escalation.
A catastrophic flash flood along the mountainous China-Nepal border has killed at least 160 people, with more than 900 still reported missing, according to officials. The disaster, centered on Nepal's Rasuwa District and China's Gyirong County, struck suddenly on Tuesday, devastating villages and infrastructure in one of the most remote and seismically active regions of the Himalayas.
House Democratic leadership has appointed lawmakers with strong pro-Israel voting records to top positions on a major committee, a move that underscores the party's ongoing support for U.S. military aid to Israel even as internal divisions over the issue deepen among its voter base. The appointments, announced this week, come at a time when a growing number of rank-and-file Democrats and progressive voters are calling for conditions or outright reductions in aid to Israel following the Gaza conflict.
A video released by the Syrian presidency shows President Bashar al-Assad making his first payment using a Visa card, one day after the United States removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. The move marks a significant step in the normalization of Syria's banking and financial systems following the lifting of US sanctions, but raises questions about the pace of reintegration and the humanitarian impact of remaining restrictions.
The confirmed death toll from a catastrophic flood along the Nepal-Tibet border has soared to 392, with hundreds more still missing — including 35 Australians — as rescue teams continue searching through debris fields left by a Himalayan glacier collapse that unleashed a devastating avalanche of mud, water, ice and rocks.
· 3 sourcesQueensland grazier Darryl Valroy Young, accused of triple murder and attempted murder, will give evidence in his trial in Townsville, a significant development as the defendant prepares to take the stand in his own defence.
A Federal Court case will determine what constitutes 'direct care' under Labor's new aged care minimums, raising the possibility of hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for providers who fail to meet the standards. The outcome could set a landmark precedent for the industry, clarifying which daily tasks — from personal hygiene to cleaning up after meals — count toward the mandated minimum care minutes.
A senior Department of Transport and Main Roads official has told Queensland's CFMEU inquiry that union bosses made her feel 'stalked' and that their behaviour towards her was 'disturbing, creepy, and inexcusable', including unsettling comments about the whereabouts of her school-aged daughter.
· 4 sourcesA teenage girl has died from strangulation during a sexual encounter, prompting two Australian commentators to argue that pornography and social media are normalizing dangerous sexual practices like 'choking' among young people, and must be held accountable. Writing in major Australian newspapers, David Corlett and Maree Crabbe warned that such practices are now common but carry lethal risks, calling for urgent regulatory action.
· 3 sourcesThe AFL has imposed a $140,000 fine on the Geelong Football Club for failing to lodge a contract variation with player Jake Kolodjashnij, a breach linked to the league’s concussion waiver protocols. The penalty, announced on Thursday, underscores the AFL’s enforcement of administrative rules around player safety agreements.
· 4 sourcesWill Freedman has declared that Genesis Runner, a colt by champion US sire Gun Runner, is capable of stakes-level competition this spring, as the Rosehill-based trainer looks to build on a promising early season for his stable.
· 3 sourcesThe United States has formally designated Palestine Action, a British activist group known for direct action against companies with Israeli ties, as a foreign terrorist organization. Huda Ammori, the group’s co-founder, told Al Jazeera the decision was hypocritical, saying ‘that’s rich’, while the US government accuses the group of engaging in violent and destructive activities that threaten public safety and international stability.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is traveling to Tehran in a renewed effort to revive diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran, as the US-Israel military campaign against Iran approaches its sixth month without any sign of a political resolution.