Five of the 29 bushfires currently burning in Victoria are still out of control this morning.

The fires have affected some 59,000 hectares so far after being sparked by dry lightning strikes in Bunyip State Park last week.

Authorities hope that stormy conditions and cooler temperatures over Tuesday and Wednesday will help curb the remaining fires.

On Sunday morning, thousands of Australians joined together nationally for a ‘Paddle Out’ to protest against the plans of the Norwegian Oil Company ‘Equinor’ from deep water oil-drilling in the Great Australian Bight.

In attendance at South Australia’s Victor Harbour was Mirning elder Bunna Lawrie, whose ancestors have looked after  oceans and whales for 50,000 years. Lawrie says as a Traditional Land Owner, he does not want his home and traditions destroyed by pollution causing destruction to the land and sea.

At least 23 people have been killed in Alabama after two tornadoes hit the region on Sunday afternoon, with rescuers expecting the death toll to rise as they continue to search through the rubble.

Three children, aged six, nine and ten, are among the dead, and tornado warnings have been issued for Georgia, Florida and South Carolina.

Alabama meteorologist Eric Snitil tweeted that there had been more deaths from tornadoes in Lee County in one day than in the entire US last year.

SpaceX has become the first company to dock a commercial spaceship designed to fly people to the International Space Station.

The Crew Dragon was launched on Saturday and docked at 5:51 AM eastern time on Sunday, making it the first American-made, designed-for-crew spacecraft to pull up to the station in eight years.

There were no people on board on the ship, only 400 pounds of cargo and a crash-test dummy, but astronauts aboard the space station were quick to check out the new spacecraft after docking.

The Government has announced new and improved theme park safety measures after the Dreamworld tragedy of October 2016.

Major ride inspections by qualified engineers will strip down rides for weeks at a time every ten years to ensure maximum safety. A new safety and licensing system will be introduced and the training of ride operators will also be improved. Those who fail to follow the new regulations will face large fines.

Brisbane City Council has agreed to pay $5.2 million to purchase three residential blocks of land in Mount Gravatt East for koala conservation efforts.

The acquisition comes after sustained community protest against a townhouse development application lodged in December last year.

The land will be restored to native bushland to act as a wildlife corridor between surrounding koala habitats as a part of the council’s Bushland Acquisition Program.

Two councillors in north-west Queensland have declared they don’t believe in paid parental leave after a new policy was passed last month giving new mothers up to 14 weeks paid leave.

Councillor Damien McGee was one of the naysayers, arguing the federal government should foot the bill, rather than burdening ratepayers.

The policy is the first of its kind for the Cloncurry Shire Council and was passed by three of the five sitting councillors.  

Researchers say planting trees may be the answer to protecting residents of aged care facilities from extreme heatwaves.

Residents in these facilities are more open to heat stress and associated issues due to the pre-existing conditions already taking a toll on their health.

Heatwaves are by far Australia’s deadliest natural disaster, responsible for more deaths than cyclones, earthquakes, bushfires, and floods combined.   

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree, officially suspending Russia’s participation in the Cold War-era nuclear weapons treaty with the United States.

Russia announced it was suspending the treaty last month after the US said it would withdraw due to violations by Moscow. This accusation has been denied and Russia has accused Washington of breaking the accord itself, which has also been rejected.