17 people have died after a fire tore through a budget hotel in New Delhi yesterday at around 4:30 am local time, including a woman and child who jumped off the hotel’s terrace.

35 people were rescued by firefighters after 30 fire engines were dispatched to the scene, with 19 people taken to hospital for smoke inhalation and other injuries.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman has been found guilty of all counts at his drug trafficking trial at a federal court in New York.

The verdict could mean life in jail for the 61 year old, who was arrested in January of 2016, after escaping from a Mexican prison through a tunnel five months earlier.

Guzman was accused of being head of the Sinaloa drug cartel, which prosecutors say was the biggest supplier of drugs to the US.

Last night, the Federal Opposition, the Greens and several crossbenchers successfully passed legislation providing doctors more say over the medical transfer of refugees from off-shore detention centres.

The defeat for the Morrison Government was the first time a substantive vote has been lost by a government in the House of Representatives since 1929.

The Prime Minister is confident the crossbench will continue to support his government, despite their votes against him on the bill.

A Townsville resident has died of melioidosis caused by bacteria from floodwater during the clean-up and recovery process.

There have been 10 other non-fatal cases of the infectious disease, and Townsville Public Health Unit Doctor Julie Mudd said this number is expected to increase.

Doctor Mudd said the community needs to check on the elderly, sick and disabled, and always wear gloves and shoes in the clean up, to prevent infection.

The Queensland government and South-East Queensland mayors have released a plan outlining how they could potentially boost the SEQ economy by $58 billion.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad released “Transforming SEQ”, on Tuesday, with the main objectives being improvements to airports on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Toowoomba and Brisbane and more projects surrounding the Port of Brisbane.

Ms Trad will present the plans to Scott Morrison and other federal MP’s on Wednesday, and said she wants to see real funding, not words.

According to a recent study conducted by the Murdoch Children’s Institute, Australia has one of the highest rates of food allergies in the world, and is particularly high among children.

This coincides with a rise in the amount of emergency room presentations for anaphylaxis among children in the last two decades, as it is expected that almost 1 in 10 infants suffer from a food allergy.

The study concluded the rise in these allergies are due to significant changes in food manufacturing, diet, and urbanisation over the past 50 years.

Democrats and Republicans have reached an agreement over border security to fund the US government and avoid another shutdown, which cost the US economy $11 billion.

The agreement only contains a fraction of the funds President Trump wanted for his border wall, and the US leader said he’s not happy with the deal.

The deal still needs Congress’ approval, with lawmakers optimistic the bill can be approved by Friday, when funding runs out for some federal agencies.

A Japanese couple have been robbed of seven Bonsai trees, one of which was 400 years old, estimated to have a total value of $118 000.

The couple say the trees were stolen from their garden in Tokyo, and have released a plea for their return, including instructions on how to care for them.

Fellow Bonsai enthusiasts have expressed their support online, with one person saying, Bonsai’s are meant to be revered and celebrated and should be beyond human greed.