'Mass casualty event' feared as earthquake rocks Vanuatu, ABC reveals big appointment, $5.50 Bunnings beach hack hailed

We're getting more information from Vanuatu now where a 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck the island nation.

Several buildings have collapsed in the capital of Port Vila with local journalist Dan McGarry saying authorities have confirmed at least one person has died with fears many more will be announced.

"This is a mass casualty event," he said on X.

ABC reporter Nick Sas described the aftermath as "horrific".

Tragic new details have been shared after a boy died over the weekend when he became trapped in a car boot in Victoria.

It's believed the 10-year-old was playing a game of hide and seek with friends when he became locked in the car.

Bentley, who was neurodiverse, suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday when temperatures peaked at 35C.

His aunt Lainey set up a Go Fund Me page to help his family cover funeral costs, with $5600 raised by Tuesday towards its $20,000 goal.

"In a tragic end to a game of hide and seek, our world stopped," Lainey said in a statement on behalf of the boy's family.

"As a family, our hearts are broken as we try to find some sense in a place that no longer feels whole."

Bentley's death came just two weeks after the loss of his grandmother.

Another aunty, Steph Sutton, shared her grief on social media, describing Bentley as a "shining star".

"The loss of Bentley has been nothing short of an absolute tragedy," she posted.

Police say they aren't treating the boy's death as suspicious but investigators are still probing the circumstances and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

- With AAP

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake has struck just off the coast of Pacific island nation Vanuatu.

The quake occurred on Tuesday afternoon at a depth of 57km and was centred near Port Vila, the largest city in the island nation the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

Unverified footage circulating online shows the US Embassy in Port Vila badly damaged. It had only opened earlier this year. Other images show a restaurant with smashed plates strewn across the floor and outside plant pots toppled.

It is unclear at this stage if there have been injuries or any deaths from the quake.

The jolt was followed by a magnitude 5.5 aftershock at the same location. Vanuatu government websites were offline in the aftermath of the quake.

The USGS warned of tsunami waves for some coasts on Vanuatu, a group of 80 islands that is home to about 330,000 people.

The Bureau of Meteorology said there was no tsunami threat to Australia.

Australian Justin Noonan who has visited Vanuatu on several occasions wrote on X he was "truly horrified" by the developments. Vanuatu is 2,000km northeast of Queensland capital Brisbane.

- With AP

Well there we have it. Sydney has reached 40C as the brutal heatwave that has swept a handful of states in the past few days nears its end.

The mercury hit 40 in both Penrith and Richmond shortly before 2pm today. The current high for the day in the CBD is 33.4C.

If you're planning on seeing Sydney's iconic New Year's Eve fireworks this year you might want to have a Plan B to public transport. That's because rail workers are looking to take strike action after Christmas that could wreak havoc for millions.

A large majority of 8000 members backed various forms of action including strikes from December 28, the Rail Tram and Bus Union NSW trains division said on Tuesday.

"They're very frustrated with the lack of engagement by this government," Union secretary Toby Wearne told Nine's Today Show.

"Everything is on the table but we haven't decided exactly what is going to occur over the next couple of weeks."

NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the news was "extraordinarily selfish".

- With AAP

Another Aussie has missed out on claiming the USA Mega Lotto jackpot, with a Queenslander one number away from the $1.1 billion top prize.

Just last month a Victorian man missed out on the jackpot when it was at A$789 million but they took home what was still an impressive A$950,000.

But for the Queensland player, as their missing number was from the main draw, they only claimed a division three prize and took home A$9,700 in comparison.

The luxury Fijian resort at the heart of the suspected alcohol poisoning incident that hospitalised four Australians has issued another update.

In a statement shared with Yahoo News Australia, Warwick Fiji said it remained "deeply concerned" about the incident.

"As a business that has proudly traded in Fiji for almost 40 years, this is an unprecedented event for us. We take the safety of our guests very seriously. We are currently working jointly with the authorities to determine what caused this unfortunate incident," the statement from resort management said.

"We are committed to ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone who visits our resort. We want to reassure all our visitors that we maintain the highest standards of food and beverage safety.

"We remain committed to the health and safety of our guests, and we are with our guests every step of the way as we investigate this unfortunate incident."

The resort said it urged guests to speak to staff who will happily answer any questions they have.

China has added another carrier flying into Australia with another 50,000 seats a week added between the two countries.

While Juneyao Air's introduction from today was touted as an opportunity to increase Chinese visitors to NSW, it also coincides with China easing visa requirements for Australians, who can now enter China for four weeks without a visa.

China has been looking to boost its own tourism since a slow start after reopening its borders following the Covid-19 pandemic. Sino-Australian relations have been on the mend in recent years under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The first Juneyao Air flight from Shanghai arrived this morning.

With the news shared on the Shanghai Daily last month, they had this to say.

"With Sydney's iconic beaches, world-class shopping, and legendary weather waiting on the other side, this isn't just a flight – it's a one-way ticket to sunshine and Aussie adventures.

"Juneyao Airlines is calling it a bridge for culture and commerce, but let's be honest: It's also a great excuse to escape Shanghai's winter and swap dumplings for Tim Tams. So grab your boarding pass and get ready to say g'day to Sydney."

Well this is far from ideal on a day like today. Thousands of Sydneysiders are facing blackouts as the city sizzles during the ongoing heatwave that continues to wash over the state, with temperatures reaching 42C in the outer western pockets of the city.

More than 2,500 people were left without power in Sydney on Tuesday morning, with blackouts first reported about 10am, spanning Macauley Ave, Chapel Rd and surrounding streets of Bankstown.

The cause of the blackout is not yet known, an Ausgrid spokesperson said.

Read more here from NCA NewsWire.

It's a staple on Christmas Day, but dentists are warning Aussies to stay away from the pork this year, or at least one part of it.

"Every year we have people fracture teeth from eating pork crackling," Dr Ben Hargreave, Principal Dentist at Dental Boutique Sydney, said.

Shellfish have also been identified as problematic and with many dentists on holiday, it could be an excruciating wait for help if you damage a tooth.

"Not a lot of dentists are open during the break, which is even more important to then look after your teeth during this period and be more careful, as access to dental care may be limited," Dr Hargreave advises.

The drinks that are believed to have poisoned four Australians at a luxury Fiji resort were made with a local rum, a source has told the Daily Telegraph.

The source who has knowledge of Warwick Fiji resort's processes, says the rum used in pina coladas served to guests before they fell ill was Bounty Rum, which is made in Fiji.

Police have taken samples of the spirit and are investigating the cause of the suspected alcohol poisoning. No findings have yet been delivered.

It comes a month after two young Melbourne women died in Southeast Asia after they drank local Laos spirits at a backpackers' hostel. The spirit at the centre of investigation in Laos is a locally distilled spirit.

A man has been refused bail after he was charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl at Bondi Junction Westfield on Friday evening.

The 27-year-old man was arrested on Sunday at a nearby bus interchange and was charged with six counts of intentionally sexually touching a child aged between 10 and 16 years, grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity and aggravated sexual assault with the victim under 16.

He appeared in court yesterday and was refused bail to reappear in February.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have sent out their Christmas card for 2024 and it's got plenty of people talking.

One of the big reasons people are desperate for a glimpse is that it includes a rare photo of their children Archie and Lilibet.

The photo doesn't appear to be the best quality and only shows the children from behind. Including such a photo was praised online as a "classy way" to protect the privacy of their children.

But not everyone was complimentary, with The Sun's Assistant Showbiz Editor Amanda Devlin calling the card "self-indulgent".

And of course, there was the usual speculation the photo was edited or even AI.

Now this is a game changer. Anyone who's been to the beach alone will understand the pain of trying to slap sunscreen on your back. Well this man has the solution.

Filmed down at Sydney's Freshwater beach and shared on social media, the man can be seen rolling sunscreen onto his back with what appears to be a paint roller.

While we can't be 100 per cent sure it's not a specially-designed sunscreen applicator, we're pretty confident you could replicate this bloke's idea down at Bunnings, with similar rollers going for as cheap as $5.50.

It's worth noting this mastermind has an elongated roller, which, if is the Uni-pro model, is $9.60 at Bunnings.

As expected, the video was swamped with praise for the man who was branded "a genius".

"This is gold," one person said. "Someone get this guy a beer," another wrote.

The ABC has announced this morning it has appointed Hugh Marks as its new managing director.

Marks is Nine Entertainment's former CEO and will take on the role from March next year.

Kim Williams, chair of the ABC, said Marks' wealth of experience in a 30-year career was "rare".

"[It] will be critical to the ABC as we look to further strengthen our reach and engagement with the Australian community," he said.

He replaces David Anderson who announced his resignation in August.

OK, it's Sydney's turn now to cop some brutal heat. The city's west is expected to reach a gruelling 42C as a punishing hot air mass continues to move east. It will be a little cooler in the CBD and east, with temperatures in the low 30s.

It comes after Victoria recorded temperatures on Monday not seen in several years. In the northwest of the state the mercury rose to 47.1C.

Relief from the heat will come later today though as a "southerly buster" moves up the coast late afternoon.

Over on the west coast, Perth's hot summer rolls on with a max of 36C expected.