Sydney Opal Tower: Residents forced to leave for second time Image copyright EPA Image caption A crack in the building's wall caused residents to evacuate on Monday. Hundreds of people have been told to leave a Sydney tower block for a second time, after a crack appeared in its walls on Monday. Many residents of the 38-storey Opal Tower had moved back in, after the alarm was first raised when loud noises were heard and a crack was discovered. The company that built the tower said it remained "structurally sound" and the relocation was just a precaution. It says this will allow engineers and investigators to work around the clock. The builder, Icon, said that no residents were in danger, but this would help them repair the site in the quickest time possible without further disruption to residents. Authorities had previously said 51 of the tower's 392 units were affected and the newly-completed building in Sydney Olympic Park was declared safe for a majority of residents to r..

Anak Krakatau: Indonesia flights rerouted as volcano alert level raised Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Anak Krakatoa has erupted a number of times in recent months: this image was taken in July The alert level for Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano has been raised to the second highest level possible, after a series of eruptions spewed out lava. All flights around the volcano have been rerouted and a 5km exclusion zone has also been imposed. Indonesia's Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said the alert level had been raised from level two to three because of fluctuating ongoing eruptions.. Last Saturday, the volcano triggered a tsunami which killed hundreds. "The volcanic activity of Anak Krakatau continues to increase," said BNPB in a press statement, citing data from the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia. "At present, eruption activity is still ongoing. The danger zone [has been] extended from 2km to 5km... people and tourists are prohibited from carrying out..

Huawei: 'Deep concerns' over firm's role in UK 5G upgrade Image copyright Reuters The Defence Secretary has reportedly said he has "very deep concerns" about Chinese firm Huawei being involved in upgrading the UK's mobile network. Gavin Williamson's comments - reported by the Times - came after some nations restricted use of the firm's products in 5G networks over security concerns. MI6's head recently said Britain faced decisions on Chinese ownership of tech. The UK says China is behind hackers targeting commercial secrets. Huawei denies any link to the Chinese state. On Wednesday, Mr Williamson was reported as saying: "I have grave, very deep concerns about Huawei providing the 5G network in Britain. It's something we'd have to look at very closely." Australia, New Zealand and the US have restricted use of Huawei technology in 5G mobile networks, and Mr Williamson said the UK would look at their example. "We've got to recognise the f..

Boxing Day Test: Seven-year-old Archie Schiller becomes Australia captain for a day Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The seven-year-old prefers to play as a leg spin bowler Around Christmas last year, seven-year-old Australian cricket super-fan Archie Schiller was lying in a hospital bed, breathing through a tube as he recovered from his third heart surgery. But this year the seven-year-old was able to forget, just briefly, the troubles of his congenital heart disease. On Wednesday, he strode onto the Melbourne Cricket Ground as honorary co-captain of the Australian cricket team as they took on India. He was captain for the Boxing Day Test - his country's biggest cricket match of the year. Thousands of spectators watched as the little boy shook hands with the Indian captain at the coin toss, signalling the start of the match. "He was just on top of the world to be out there with the team, I've never seen him smile so much," his mother Sarah Schiller told the BBC. ..

Lost in Asia's deepest cave Image copyright Yulia Ustinova Image caption Boybuloq cave is now recognised as the deepest in Asia Almost 50 years ago, Mustafaqul Zokirov left his drought-hit mountain village in a remote corner of Uzbekistan in search of water. He never returned. But his disappearance led to a discovery that now draws explorers to a Central Asian country normally known for its vast steppes and ancient Silk Road cities. What attracts them is Boybuloq - at 1,415 metres (4,640 feet) - Asia's deepest cave. Image copyright Yulia Ustinova Image caption The Hisar mountains where Asia's deepest cave is located Uzbekistan's mountains still have an air of mystery and are amongst the least explored anywhere. That's certainly true for the Hisar range in the south of the country, where Boybuloq lies. Just getting there is a task not for the faint-hearted. First comes a hair-raising seven-hour drive in an old Soviet-era UAZ off-road vehicle, up to the ham..

Miley Cyrus confirms marriage to Liam Hemsworth Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The couple met on the set of the 2010 film The Last Song US pop star Miley Cyrus has confirmed her marriage to Australian actor and long-standing partner Liam Hemsworth. She shared images from the ceremony, reported to have been held on Sunday, on social media. The couple met nearly a decade ago on the set of the film The Last Song. In November, they lost their home in California in the state's devastating wildfires. The wedding is reported to have taken place at another property owned by Cyrus, in Franklin, Tennessee. It was a small ceremony attended by family and close friends, reports said. Pictures shared on Cyrus's Twitter account showed the couple embracing. Skip Twitter post by @MileyCyrus 10 years later ..... pic.twitter.com/Lm8VD5AVxa — Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) December 26, 2018 Report End of Twitter post by @MileyCyrus The couple became engaged in 2012 but then broke..

Afghan presidential election delayed by three months Image copyright Reuters Image caption Final results from October's parliamentary elections have not yet been declared Next year's presidential election in Afghanistan has been postponed by three months, election authority sources say. It was initially due in April. A new date in mid-July or early August is to be announced on Thursday. Many potential candidates had been unable to meet registration requirements and extreme weather meant their teams could not organise for a spring date, the sources told the BBC. It comes days after reports that the US was to withdraw thousands of troops. About 7,000 troops - roughly half the remaining US military presence in the country - could go home within months, the US media reports said. On Monday 43 people died in a suicide and gun attack on the Afghan ministry of public works in Kabul, officials said. Meanwhile Iran has held talks with the Afghan Taliban, a senior Iranian security of..

UK couple die within hours of each other in Australia Image copyright Facebook Image caption More than £16,000 has been raised for the families of Jason Francis and Alice Robinson Thousands of pounds has been raised to help the families of a British couple who died within hours of each other in Australia. Former Market Drayton Town footballer Jason Francis, 29, was hit by a car near the home he shared with partner Alice Robinson in Scarborough, Perth. Ms Robinson, who was said to have been "heartbroken", was later found dead. More than 29,000 Australian dollars (£16,000) has been donated since Christmas Eve. Mr Francis had been on a day out with friends from Cottesloe Rugby Club, before getting a taxi home on Saturday evening. Western Australia Police said a white VW Jetta, driven by an 18-year-old man, hit a male pedestrian. The force confirmed it was also investigating the death of a woman, and was preparing a report for the coroner. Skip Twitter post by @MDTFC It Is With Immense S..

Taiwan: 152 Vietnam tourists 'disappear' during holiday Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The visitors arrived in Kaohsiung, population 2.7 million, over the weekend The Taiwanese authorities are searching for 152 Vietnamese people who arrived on tourist visas last week and have since gone missing. The tourists arrived in the southern city of Kaohsiung on 21 and 23 December, but all but one appear to have absconded, officials say. Local media reports suggest they may intend to work illegally in Taiwan. Taiwan has waived visa fees for certain visitors from Asian countries including Vietnam, in a bid to boost tourism. This is believed to be the largest case of tourists disappearing ever since the visa programme began in 2015. The National Immigration Agency said it had set up a taskforce to investigate the tourists and "the group behind them". If caught, the tourists would be deported and banned from the island for between three and five years, the agency added. Vietn..