Greek authorities says at least 20 people have died and another 69 hospitalised as two major forest fires burn near Athens.

The fires have prompted residents and tourists to flee to beaches east of Athens to be rescued by boat.

Greece is seeking international assistance to help cope with the fires.

A government inquiry will be launched into the New Generation Rollingstock trains, which have been criticised for disability access issues and various defects.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced retired District Court Judge Michael Forde will conduct an inquiry into the procurement of the trains, and their failure to comply with disability laws.

The $4.4 billion NGR trains, ordered by the Newman government in 2014, were delivered 18 months late and required an additional $150 million to fix major defects.

The number of Australians receiving breakthrough treatment for Hepatitis C has decreased sharply, having dropped to uptake numbers less than half of those when the treatment was introduced in March 2016.

Hepatitis Australia CEO Helen Tyrrell has warned those affected by the disease should seek treatment immediately as the virus can progress to serious liver disease, if left untreated.

Around 60,000 Australians have been treated since the introduction of the medicines, however more than 170,000 are still living with the virus.

New policy changes which allow NSW girls attending public schools to wear pants or shorts are set to come into practice this week.

The changes are accompanied by strict guidelines which force schools to give three years notice to parents when introducing changes to mandatory big ticket items, such as blazers.

The changes come 10 days after Queensland passed similar policy changes.

A public health warning has been issued across NSW after a poisonous imported eyeliner was discovered in Western Sydney.

Hashmi Kohl Aswad eyeliner was found to contain dangerous levels of lead and other hazardous materials.

The discovery comes after three children became ill, with elevated levels of lead in their blood attributed to the product.

Toronto police have identified Faisal Hussain, aged 29, as the shooter who killed two people and injured thirteen others.

Police say Hussain died after an exchange of gunfire with authorities, though it is unclear whether he killed himself or was killed by police.

Hussain’s family says he suffered from severe mental health challenges, including psychosis and depression, and they are utterly devastated for the victims.

Somalian army forces warded off an attack from Al-Shabaab after the militants detonated a car bomb and stormed the base in the nation’s south.

An official states the military repelled the attack and killed 87 enemy fighters, dismissing Al-Shabaab’s claim they overran the base and killed 27 soldiers.

The attack follows a similar incident on the same base last month by al-Shabaab, which wounded seven soldiers.

Climate change research has shown tropical cyclones are bringing new regions such as East Australia into the zone at risk.

Professor Stephen Turton has warned that if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise we could see cyclones from Brisbane to Sydney, or Rome to London by the end of the century.

Professor Turton also believes the maximum intensity of cyclones is set to increase, as temperatures and humidity levels rise.