Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest storms to hit Asia in years, whipped waves taller than lampposts onto Hong Kong promenades and turned seas rough on the southern Chinese coast overnight after leaving deadly destruction in Taiwan and the Philippines.

In Taiwan, 17 people died after floods submerged roads and carried away vehicles in one county, and 10 deaths were reported in the northern Philippines.

Nearly 1.9 million people were relocated across Guangdong province, the southern Chinese economic powerhouse.

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A weather station in Chuandao town recorded maximum gusts of 241km/hr at noon, a high in Jiangmen city since record-keeping began.

State broadcaster CCTV said the typhoon made landfall along the coast of Hailing Island in Yangjiang city at about 5 pm (7 pm Wednesday AEST), packing maximum winds near the centre of 144km/hr.

Violent winds battered trees and buildings, with torrential rain lowering visibility, video from China's state-run Xinhua news agency showed.

The typhoon is forecast to keep moving west, prompting the suspension of some train services in the Gunagxi region on Thursday. Chinese officials allocated tens of millions of dollars for relief efforts.

Schools, factories and transportation services were initially suspended in about a dozen cities, but a few of them distant from the landfall location were preparing to resume work as winds weakened.

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Winds and waves lash Hong Kong

The fierce winds, brought by Ragasa, once a super typhoon, woke Hong Kong residents in the early hours, and many went online to describe scenes like a kitchen ventilation fan being blown down and a crane swaying.

Strong winds blew away parts of a pedestrian bridge's roof and knocked down hundreds of trees across the city. A vessel crashed into the shore, shattering a row of glass railings along the waterfront.

Areas around some rivers and promenades were flooded, including cycling lanes and playgrounds. At several promenade restaurants, furniture was scattered chaotically by the winds. Ninety injured people were treated at hospitals.

A video that showed waves of water crashing through the doors of a hotel and flooding its interiors went viral in the financial hub. The hotel has not immediately commented on the incident.

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Hong Kong and Macao, a nearby casino hub, cancelled schools and flights, with many shops closed. Hundreds of people sought refuge in temporary centres in each city. Streets in Macao turned into streams with debris floating on the water.

Rescue crews deployed inflatable boats to save those who were trapped.

The gambling city's local electricity supplier suspended its power supply in some flooded, low-lying areas for safety. As the winds eased, some waded into flooded streets to catch fish.

Hong Kong's observatory said Ragasa had maximum sustained winds near the centre of about 195km/hr and skirted around 100km to the south of the city.

Hong Kong categorises cyclones with sustained winds 185km/hr or stronger as super typhoons to make residents extra vigilant about intense storms.

The observatory said Ragasa is the strongest tropical cyclone in the northwestern Pacific and South China Sea region so far this year. Preliminary analysis showed it also ranks as the second-strongest one in the South China Sea region since the observatory's record-keeping began in 1950, tying with typhoons Saola in 2023 and Yagi in 2024, it said.

Dozens dead in floods and at sea in Philippines and Taiwan

Ragasa earlier caused deaths and damage in Taiwan and the Philippines after the typhoon took a path between them.

In Taiwan, 17 people died after heavy rain caused a barrier lake in Hualien County to overflow Tuesday and torrents of muddy water destroyed a bridge, turning roads in Guangfu township into churning rivers that carried vehicles and furniture away.

Guangfu has about 8450 people, more than half of whom sought safety on higher floors of their homes or on higher ground on Wednesday morning.

Rescuers managed to establish contact with more than 100 others who were previously unreachable in Hualien, and were going door-to-door to check on the remaining 17 residents. A total of 32 people were injured across the self-ruled island.

At least 10 deaths were reported in the northern Philippines, including seven fishermen who drowned after their boat was battered by huge waves and fierce wind and flipped over on Monday off Santa Ana town in northern Cagayan province. Five other fishermen remained missing, provincial officials said.

Nearly 700,000 people were affected by the onslaught, of whom 25,000 fled to government emergency shelters.

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Exclusive: A Victorian mother has told how she was not allowed to breastfeed her baby and made to feel like an "inconvenience" during a first aid course.

Geelong mum-of-two and personal trainer Felicity Ryan needed 20 minutes to feed her son during a day-long CPR training course last year and asked the facilitators to accommodate her request.

Ryan explained to 9news.com.au she was told to breastfeed during a 10-minute break outside of the room instead because no children were allowed inside.

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It’s time to check your ticket for the lucky numbers.

The moments before two relatives died in a fiery car accident have been made public as the actions of the two police officers pursuing them are examined.

Jebriel Dandan and Seifeddine Malas died when their car crashed on Sydney's M4 motorway in January 2023.

Malas, the P-plater behind the wheel of an Audi sports sedan, was being chased by police when he went through a guard rail on a slip ramp and tumbled at speed.

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The sedan came to rest on its roof on the motorway before catching alight in Homebush West.

Footage taken from the police car chasing the two second cousins minutes before the crash was made public by the NSW Coroners Court.

The clip shows limited visibility as the cars speed down Centenary Drive north towards the M4.

The officers are seen accelerating around a bend, reaching speeds of around 165km/h to keep up with the Audi in the distance.

At times during the pursuit, the cars exceed 200 km/h while passing a truck and other vehicles.

The exact moment of the car crash and fire was not played to the court or released to the public.

Coroner Joan Baptie is examining the conduct of the police car's driver – Senior Constable Peter Miliadis – and his passenger – Constable Martin Williams.

The two officers did not immediately turn on their lights and sirens after seeing the speeding Audi, the cousins' inquest has been told.

Instead, they chose to conduct a speed check by maintaining a set distance behind the other car for nine seconds.

The appropriateness of the decision not to alert Malas, 25, and Dandan, 24, of the presence of police behind them earlier is being examined by the coroner.

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Counsel assisting Surya Palaniappan told the inquest in May that the speeds driven by the police were "excessive".

Sen Const Miliadis was cleared of unsafe driving in July 2023 after an internal safe driving review conducted by police.

The review's author, Sergeant Grant Howell, told the court on Monday he thought the decision to conduct the speed check instead of turning on lights and sirens earlier in the pursuit was appropriate.

Solicitor Oussama Elfawal, representing the families of the two deceased men, suggested the two officers had chosen "stealth over safety" during the high-speed car chase.

Malas had history driving at excessive speeds, the inquest was told.

At the time of his death, he was subject to a three-year licence disqualification after being spotted by police driving 176km/h in an 80km/h zone in June 2022.

He had been sentenced to a nine-month intensive community order and 100 hours of community service for driving dangerously.

He was due to back in court for an appeal the day after he died, January 24.

The inquest has been told the men died from the impact of the car crash, before the vehicle was engulfed by fire.

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Sheep lambing in Belmont Farm were among livestock frightened by the riders.

Eighteen-year-old Sam Leason said nine boats were hit in night-time drone strikes.

A Victorian tourism board and local council have floated the idea of charging tourists a fee to visit the famous Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road.

Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism (GORRT) and Corangamite Shire have today called on the Victorian state government to seize a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity to greenlight a user-pays model to access the iconic natural attraction.

The proposed fee would support "infrastructure, conservation, community wellbeing and user experience," the joint statement said.

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"As stewards of the visitor economy in this extraordinary region, we believe a thoughtfully introduced user-pays system is not only fair, it is essential," said GORRT chair Andrew Jeffers.

"This approach must allow the active management of visitation across the day and  year, encourage overnight stays, capture economic benefit, and reinvest directly into  protecting and enhancing the fragile coastal environment." 

The fee proposal was suggested in the regional tourism board's strategic business plan for 2025-2029.

The statement noted that a "well-designed" model would reward overnight and off-peak travel to relieve the peak period pressures.

"The Great Ocean Road is more than a scenic drive – it's a living, working region filled with vibrant communities, remarkable landscapes, and cultural depth," said GORRT general manager Liz Price.

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"It's time we aligned our tourism management with our values – sustainability, responsibility, and long-term community benefit."

The tiered fee system was not determined in the statement.

However, the proposal said the user-pays model would help fund a $126 million investment into the Twelve Apostles Precinct, which includes a new visitor centre.

The joint message urged the Victorian government to "lead boldly" to unlock the full potential of the Great Ocean Road region.

An estimated 6.8 million tourists traverse the Great Ocean Road each year, with tqo million visiting the Twelve Apostles annually.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shared a selfie taken with US President Donald Trump during their first ever face-to-face meeting in New York City.

The PM said it was "good to chat" with Trump during an informal meeting at the US welcome reception for world leaders attending United Nations General Assembly.

Albanese posted a smiling selfie of the pair to his Instagram shortly after the meeting.

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The photo ends months of speculation over when the PM would finally score an in-person meeting with the US president.

Albanese earlier attended an informal reception Trump hosted in Manhattan, where much of the world's leaders are meeting for the United Nations General Assembly.

The pair had a short and polite discussion about the upcoming talks, but no greater detail was shared, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

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This morning 9News confirmed, after much conjecture, that the two leaders will have their first official sit-down in Washington DC on October 20.

Despite having shared four phone calls mutually described as amicable, the pair were yet to meet face-to-face until today.

The lack of face-time with the US president has been something Albanese's political opponents have seized on, particularly in the face of a Pentagon review of the AUKUS pact, as well as ongoing tariffs on Australian exports to the US.

AUKUS is likely to be high on Albanese's agenda for the meeting in October after members of Trump's administration expressed scepticism over the deal's value.

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Australia has already begun delivering payments for nuclear-powered submarines from the US, but there have been calls in Washington for the delivery of the subs to be made conditional on Australia's support in a hypothetical US war with China.

The federal government is also likely to seek an exemption to Trump's 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.

Besides those, Australia has not been singled out for any special tariff imposition, but it is unlikely Trump will rescind them entirely.

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Fire crews are working to rescue a person trapped after a Tauranga collision.

Optus has been ordered to pay a $100 million fine for selling products to hundreds of vulnerable customers, including some with a mental disability, in the second major hit to the under-fire telco in a matter of days.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took Optus to court for its "unconscionable conduct and inappropriate" practices when selling phones and contracts to more than 400 customers at 16 stores across Australia between August 2019 and July 2023.

The products were sold to customers, many of whom were vulnerable or came from disadvantaged backgrounds, despite them being items they did not want or need, could not use or could not afford.

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According to the consumer watchdog, some of those customers owed thousands of dollars and were pursued for the payments.

Many of the customers included people living with a mental disability, diminished cognitive capacity, learning difficulties, financially dependent or unemployed, had limited financial literacy, or did not have English as a first language.

The behaviour affected many First Nations customers from regional, remote and very remote parts of the country. 

Optus admitted to engaging in unconscionable conduct in June and came to an agreement with the ACCC to pay a $100 million fine. 

The Federal Court has this afternoon approved the penalty, with Justice Patrick O'Sullivan noting the consequences of the telco's conduct were "profound".

"Numerous individuals experienced severe financial harm, emotional distress, and social shame," he said while enforcing the fine.

"Particularly damaging was the heightened risk of losing access to essential telecommunications services when faced with inflated service costs."

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The telco will pay the $100 million fine, remediate any impacted customers and pay an additional $1 million to support digital literacy initiatives for First Nations people.

Optus will also implement changes to improve its remuneration and incentives to prevent similar conduct and process and system changes, which will be overseen by the ACCC and an independent auditor. 

"Optus is committed to working closely with the ACCC and an independent auditor to ensure the enforceable undertaking is implemented fully and transparently within the agreed timings," an Optus spokesperson said. 

Optus has also begun buying back some of its licensee stores in the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia and ensure a certain number of stores in those states are directly operated by Optus.

In addition, the telco will pay a portion of the ACCC's legal fees. 

Optus chief executive Stephen Rue said the behaviour was "totally and utterly unacceptable" and had prompted a whole-of-business review.

"We looked at our sales processes. We were looking at incentive schemes. We have bought back some of the franchise stores that were involved," he said at a press conference today.

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ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said Optus' conduct was "truly appalling".

"During the course of our investigation, we heard from many people who had not only experienced significant financial harm, but also emotional distress and fear after being pursued by debt collectors for long periods," she said.

"A company of Optus's size should have had better systems and controls in place to identify and stop this sort of behaviour."

Optus is currently under fire after a human error and a failure to follow step one of an upgrade procedure caused a triple-zero outage on Thursday, which has been linked to four deaths. 

That incident is not related to today's ruling.

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