Tag Archives: oceania

Thunderstorms and heatwaves to hit across Australia this weekend

2025-10-25 FreeNews

A wild variety of weather is set to hit Australia this weekend, with thunderstorms and heatwaves forecasted across several regions.

While thunderstorms are headed for Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, a heatwave warning is in place for parts of Queensland's north and west, including Bundaberg and areas further up the state's coast.

After nearly 400,000 lightning strikes across the Northern Territory's inland since Thursday, more thunderstorms are forecast over Western Australia's inland and South Australia's west, according to Weatherzone.

SES crews working on a fallen tree. Forecast accumulated rain over the next three days, some of which will fall from thunderstorms.

Severe thunderstorms are expected to ease tomorrow as storms move east, however, heavy rain will remain a risk for parts of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

Meanwhile, heatwave conditions will continue to intensify over parts of Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia's north.

Multiple areas in those regions are set to reach temperatures in the low 40s for consecutive days in the coming days.

Severe-to-Extreme Heatwave conditions forecast between Friday and Sunday across parts of QLD, the NT and WA.

High fire danger ratings will remain in parts of Australia's north and east as hot, dry and windy conditions.

What to do in a heatwave

Severe heatwaves can be dangerous for many people, especially older people, babies, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with medical conditions and people who are unwell.

Seek a place to keep cool, such as your home, a library, community centre or shopping centre.
Close your windows and draw blinds, curtains or awnings early in the day to keep the heat out of your home.
If available, use fans or air-conditioners to keep cool.

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Two men dead following car crash in NSW’s south

2025-10-25 FreeNews

Two men have died following a single-vehicle crash in New South Wales' south.

Emergency services were called to Bigga Road in Bigga, approximately 80km south-east of Cowra, after reports of a crash about 11am yesterday.

Police officers found that a Toyota Station Wagon had crashed into a tree before catching alight.

The two men in the car – aged 61 and 57 – died at the scene.

A crime scene has been established as police investigate the cause of the crash.

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German freight lift becomes unexpected social media star after Louvre heist

2025-10-25 FreeNews

Forget France: The Louvre Museum jewelry heist was a classic case of German efficiency.

Photos of a German-made freight lift that the thieves used in a lightning-fast daylight heist at the Louvre have gone viral. And its manufacturer is now riding high from the unexpected endorsement.

Alexander Böcker, the managing director and third-generation owner of Böcker Maschinenwerke GmbH, told The Associated Press that when he and his wife saw the images online, they were "shocked that our lift had been misused for this robbery."

Louvre museum heist

"Once the initial shock had subsided, black humour took over," he wrote in an email to the AP.

Authorities say the thieves spent less than four minutes inside the Louvre on Sunday morning.

They wheeled the freight lift up to the museum, rode the basket up the façade, forced open a window, smashed display cases and grabbed priceless Napoleonic jewels before spiriting away on motorbikes through central Paris.

It didn't take long for the Germans to seize on the marketing opportunity. By Monday morning, Böcker's company had come up with a social media post featuring a photo of the freight lift — which is typically used for furniture and construction — and a slogan in German that translates to "when something needs to be done quickly".

Louvre museum heist

The post also touts the ability of the "Böcker Agilo" to transport up to 400 kilograms of "your treasures" at a speed of 42 metres per minute. And it moves "whisper quiet" thanks to its 230 Volt E-Motor, the post says.

"We had hoped for a bit of attention and some good humour, but the feedback was overwhelming," Böcker wrote on Thursday.

"I can understand that not everyone shares this sense of humour, but the vast majority laughed heartily."

But the freight lift is not permitted to transport humans, Böcker said.

Crown jewels, yes. Thieves, no.

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Helicopter called to Auckland’s Piha Beach after serious water incident

2025-10-24 FreeNews

A helicopter is airlifting the patient to hospital.

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Driver escapes after SUV crushed by fuel tanker against tunnel wall

2025-10-24 FreeNews

A Melbourne driver has had an incredible escape after their car was crushed by a tanker truck against the barrier of a Melbourne tunnel last night.

Extraordinary CCTV vision from inside the Burnley Tunnel shows the fuel tanker seemingly unaware of a Mitsubishi Pajero in its path as it indicated and moved into the left outbound lane about 9.15pm.

Sparks and debris flew as the Pajero became squashed between the truck and the wall of the tunnel.

Amazingly no one was physically hurt in the Burnley Tunnel crash.

Both vehicles came to a grinding halt after the fuel tanker slammed on the brakes.

Emergency services were on scene within minutes. Amazingly no one was physically hurt.

Traffic was brought to a standstill as heavy machinery was brought in to separate the two vehicles and remove them from the tunnel.

Toll road operator Transurban says it monitors the tunnel around the clock and had its crews on scene within four minutes.

A Melbourne driver has had an incredible escape after their car was crushed by a tanker truck against the barrier of a Melbourne tunnel last night.

While crash rates in tunnels are relatively low, research shows drivers often "respond differently in enclosed environments", Transurban said.

"That's why we're encouraging motorists to avoid unnecessary lane changes in tunnels and high-speed areas," a spokesperson said.

"It's a simple behaviour that can make a real difference in preventing serious incidents."

The driver of the truck received a penalty infringement notice for performing an unsafe lane change.

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An ad just made Trump so mad he cancelled trade talks with an entire country

2025-10-24 FreeNews

US President Donald Trump said late on Thursday that he was ending "all trade negotiations" with Canada because of a television ad opposing US tariffs that he said misstated the facts and called "egregious behaviour" aimed at influencing US court decisions.

The post on Trump's social media site came after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he aims to double his country's exports to countries outside the US because of the threat posed by Trump's tariffs.

Trump's call for an abrupt end to negotiations could further inflame trade tensions that have already been building between the two neighbouring countries for months.

President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters during a roundtable on criminal cartels in the State Dining Room of the White House

Trump posted, "The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs."

"The ad was for $75,000. They only did this to interfere with the decision of the US Supreme Court, and other courts," Trump wrote on his social media site.

"TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE USA Based on their egregious behaviour, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED."

Carney's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The prime minister was set to leave Friday morning for a summit in Asia, while Trump is set to do the same Friday evening.

Earlier on Thursday night, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute posted on X that an ad created by the government of Ontario "misrepresents the 'Presidential Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade' dated April 25, 1987."

It added that Ontario did not receive foundation permission "to use and edit the remarks."

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney makes a live address on Canada's plan to build a stronger economy in advance of the 2025 Budget, at the University of Ottawa in Ottawa

The foundation said it is "reviewing legal options in this matter" and invited the public to watch the unedited video of Reagan's address.

Carney met with Trump earlier this month to try to ease trade tensions, as the two countries and Mexico prepare for a review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement — a trade deal Trump negotiated in his first term, but has since soured on.

More than three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the US, and nearly $CA3.6 billion ($3.95 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border daily.

Trump said earlier this week that he had seen the ad on television and said that it showed that his tariffs were having an impact.

"I saw an ad last night from Canada. If I was Canada, I'd take that same ad also," he said then.

In his own post on X last week, Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, posted a link to the ad and the message: "It's official: Ontario's new advertising campaign in the US has launched."

He continued, "Using every tool we have, we'll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together."

A spokesperson for Ford didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night. But Ford previously got Trump's attention with an electricity surcharge to US states.

a card yard with hundreds of vans and suvs

Trump responded by doubling steel and aluminium tariffs.

The president has moved to impose steep US tariffs on many goods from Canada.

In April, Canada's government imposed retaliatory levies on certain US goods, but it carved out exemptions for some automakers to bring specific numbers of vehicles into the country, known as remission quotas.

Trump's tariffs have especially hurt Canada's auto sector, much of which is based in Ontario. This month, Stellantis said it would move a production line from Ontario to Illinois.