Key Points
- Investigation into fatal Brisbane house fire
- Residents clean up after worst NT storm since Cyclone Tracy
- France beats the Wallabies – ending a bleak Australian tour of Europe
TRANSCRIPT
A person has died, and four others have suffered life-threatening injuries after a house fire in Brisbane.
The two teenagers — a boy and a girl — and a man and woman - both in their 30s - have been rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
Police say neighbouring properties had to be evacuated as firefighters worked to contain the blaze at a home in the suburb of Lawnton early this morning, which was already engulfed in flames when emergency services arrived on the scene.
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
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Top End residents are launching into clean-up mode after enduring a rough and noisy night of damaging winds and heavy rain as tropical cyclone Fina swept by.
The storm is the worst to hit the region since Cyclone Tracy in 1974, leaving several areas without power, blocking roads and downing trees.
The Bureau of Meteorology says a tropical cyclone warning remains in place over the Northern Territory and northern Kimberly, with areas of Western Australia expected to feel the effects of the strengthening system on Monday and Tuesday.
BOM meteorologist Angus Hines says that while the cyclone is moving away from Darwin, residents should still be on alert.
"We could see between 50 and 130 millimetres of rain piling in on Sunday. But of course, this extra wet weather is coming in and falling onto very wet soil after yesterday's rainfall, so we absolutely could continue to see areas of flash flooding. And add in the damaging winds, we expect to see further impacts across the Darwin area due to the wind and rain on Sunday."
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A compromise agreement reached at the end of two weeks of global negotiations at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil has received mixed reactions.
The agreement pledges more funding for countries to adapt to extreme weather but does not include details on how to phase out fossil fuels or strengthen countries' inadequate emissions cutting plans.
Some participants like Colombia and Pacific Island nations have expressed disappointment at the omission of fossil fuels.
UK Secretary of State for Energy, Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, has given the proposal lukewarm praise.
"I would have preferred that the transition away from fossil fuels had been in the document, but key countries objected to that. The way this works is a process of unanimity. Everybody has to agree. But what's also significant today is that there's enough in this agreement for Brazil to launch that key roadmap on the transition away from fossil fuels which the COP president announced. "
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Nigerians say they are concerned and angry over the abduction of 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers by gunmen during an attack on a school in the country's north.
The latest tally updates the earlier number of 215 children taken from the Catholic school in Niger state, making it one of the worst kidnappings in Nigeria's history.
No group has claimed responsibility for the abductions, and authorities say tactical squads and local hunters are trying to find the children.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago has called the kidnapping very sad news.
"These incidents will have been avoided, however, it's not a time for blame game. Our mission today is to see how we can rescue these children and all those that have been kidnapped in that incidence. As such, we are calling on all the security agencies, civil society organisations, organized level, clerics to please focus on the rescue of these children."
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To sport and in rugby union, pressure continues to mount on Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt after a disastrous spring tour ended with a 48-33 loss to France in Paris.
The Wallabies started strong, scoring on their first possession, before Les Bleus hit back.
The two teams then swapped the lead until France gained further ground, finishing with a late try from Maxime Lamothe.
The result follows losses to England, Italy and Ireland, meaning the Wallabies will come home from a four-test tour of Europe without a win for the first time since 1958.
