Six months after a deadly dam collapse in Brazil, new evidence has emerged that suggests the disaster could have been prevented.

Investigators believe there's evidence the German company that certified the structure as safe knew it was vulnerable to collapse.

Nearly 300 people died when the collapse triggered a mudslide near the south-eastern town of Brumadinho.

Taiwan moved thousands of people to safety on Wednesday as the island braced for its first typhoon this year, airlines cancelled domestic flights and authorities issued warnings about floods and high seas.

Typhoon Danas, categorised at the weakest typhoon level, was expected to hit the eastern county of Yilan late on Thursday. It was moving across the ocean in a northwesterly direction at 18km per hour.

Authorities have said more than 2,000 people were moved to safety, most of them tourists on islands off its east coast.

A gun retailer, Gun City plans to open a mega store in Christchurch has upset residents just months after a gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in the city.

The accused gunman, Australian Brenton Tarrant, bought four weapons and ammunition between December 2017 and March 2018 at  Gun City in March.

Radio New Zealand said some of those living near the proposed site were upset at the prospect of the store, sprawling over 300sqm, along with warehouse, office and car park, set to open in August.

The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in south-west Victoria is the first Indigenous Australian landscape to be gazetted on the World Heritage List purely for its cultural values.

This listing breaks an invisible barrier: even the most iconic Indigenous Australian cultural sites, such as Uluru-Kata Tjuta and Kakadu National Parks, were listed for both natural and cultural values.

The Budj Bim listing is expected to open the door to other Australian Indigenous sites to obtain a World Heritage listing.

Millionaire businessman Dick Smith has slammed Australia's franking credits system after revealing he received $500,000 of the controversial rebates in a single year.

Mr Smith said he doesn't feel that it is right for someone of his wealth to receive a tax advantage and now he is asking Australian Tax Office how he can not receive the money anymore. 

Lime has increased their prices of their scooters even though a new competitor will arrive this month.

The original price of renting a scooter was 30 cents per minute, but the price has been raised to 38 cents per minute.

On July 22,  Lime will reduce its fleet of scooters from 700 to 400 scooters.

Electrical engineer, Phil Best, chairman of the Mount Coot-tha Local Residents action group, has spent years investigating the effects he believes the nearby Brisbane City Council-owned quarry is having on his house.

Mr Best, expressed his concerns about the quarry explaining that he had felt blats inside his house saying they would last up to 30 seconds.

Greens MP Michael Berkman, whose Maiwar electorate includes western suburb said the residents have raised legitimate concerns. 

Sudan's ruling military council and opposition leaders have signed a power-sharing accord after all-night talks.

Sudan's ruling military council, Mohamed Hamdan "Hemeti" Dagolo,  said it is a historic moment for the country.

The terms of the transitional period, which will be laid out in a constitutional declaration, are yet to be agreed.

Sudan has been in turmoil since the military ousted President Omar al-Bashir in April.