A heat wave that has already caused devastating fires on the Island state of Tasmania, with 100 people still missing, has now moved to mainland Australia and is reaping havoc in New South Wales, as the heat wave looks to smash records. ­In some areas temperatures have shot up by as much as 20C in three hours and combined with 50 mph winds have created disastrous fire conditions. Right across Australia... 

Australians build up a levee to prevent flood waters in the New South Wales town of Charleville on February 4, 2012. Nearly 9,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes in Australia’s flood-stricken south, where the military has joined emergency services to evacuate the residents. Days of heavy rain have caused flooding across three Australian states of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria... 

A government biosecurity officer at Golden Duck Farms in Victoria after birds tested positive for avian influenza. A national disease emergency plan has been activated to prevent an outbreak of deadly bird flu in Australia after the discovery of infected birds at two free-range duck farms north of Melbourne. All 25,000 ducks on two Golden Duck Farms properties at Gisborne and Mickleham were being gassed... 

It is called Murray Valley encephalitis, it is very rare, it can infect humans, it is deadly and it has been found among chickens in Australia’s New South Wales State, in the first appearance since the 1970s. The population in the areas infected in this State and the State of Victoria is being warned to protect itself. Murray Valley encephalitis is more commonly found in north-western Australia... 

Police have been criticised after tearing a tent being worn as a dress by an Occupy Melbourne protester. The Ethical Standards Department is investigating a physical assault complaint over an incident in which police stripped an Occupy Melbourne protester down to her underwear. The incident happened in the Flagstaff Gardens this morning when police moved in to remove tents being worn by a couple of... 

Greg McNicol (left) and Freddie Young (right) The millionaire US lottery winner accused of shooting dead Australian property developer Greg McNicol warned “watch your mouth” before firing the fatal bullet, a Detroit court has heard. The evidence was part of chilling testimony presented at a hearing for 62-year-old Freddie Young on Thursday. Young was part of a syndicate in Michigan that... 

A former public schoolboy accused of making his own suicide vest using home-made explosives described in court how he became interested in explosives to make himself ‘cool’ and ‘popular’. Isa Ibrahim, formerly known as Andrew in his school days, also told the court he started using hard drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine while at school and played online computer games for... 

AN HIV-positive man who had unprotected sex with a young woman is expected to be released on a wholly suspended jail term and community-based order. The prosecution has accepted this would be an appropriate sentence for Lam Kuoth, and yesterday County Court judge Paul Lacava said he agreed “in principle”. But he ordered a pre-sentence report, saying “I am most anxious to ensure the...