SYDNEY: Thousands of people across eastern Australia have been told to leave their homes as storms bear down on cities and towns still recovering from record deadly flooding just weeks ago.
Multiple evacuation orders were issued for the town of Lismore, which was devastated last month when record-high 14.3-meter (47 feet) floodwaters engulfed homes, swept away cars and stranded locals on the roofs of their homes.
Hundreds of people had to be dramatically rescued — many by neighbors who braved the floodwaters in private boats and even kayaks — because emergency services were overwhelmed by calls for help.
Seeking to avoid a repeat of this disaster, state emergency services said “additional people, vehicles, boats and helicopters” had been deployed ahead of forecast storms and “life-threatening” flash flooding on Tuesday.
Lismore locals spent much of Monday preparing for intense rainfall — sandbagging properties and moving to higher ground, with flood levels expected to reach close to the town’s levee height by Tuesday afternoon.
A flood relief center in the town set up by Australia’s national Indigenous newspaper The Koori Mail had to be evacuated.
February’s flooding claimed at least 21 lives across the states of Queensland and New South Wales and displaced thousands of people, many of whom are living in temporary accommodation in areas where heavy rains are expected this week.
“Since catchments are now saturated, there will be an increased risk of dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding and even landslides during this event,” the national weather bureau said in a warning Monday.
In the state of Queensland, a man was found dead in his car in floodwaters on Monday, along with several dogs, despite police rescue attempts. A woman who was in the vehicle survived and was taken to hospital to recover.
Australia’s flood-ravaged east braces for more storms
https://arab.news/zvufu
Australia’s flood-ravaged east braces for more storms
- A flood relief center in the town set up by Australia’s national Indigenous newspaper The Koori Mail had to be evacuated
Geoeconomic confrontation tops global risks in 2026: WEF report
- Also armed conflict, extreme climate, public polarization, AI
- None ‘a foregone conclusion,’ says WEF’s MD Saadia Zahidi
DUBAI: Geoeconomic confrontation has emerged as the top global risk this year, followed by state-based armed conflict, according to a new World Economic Forum report.
The Global Risks Report 2026, released on Wednesday, found that both risks climbed eight places year-on-year, underscoring a sharp deterioration in the global outlook amid increased international competition.
The top five risks are geoeconomic confrontation (18 percent of respondents), state-based armed conflict (14 percent), extreme weather events (8 percent), societal polarization (7 percent) and misinformation and disinformation (7 percent).
The WEF’s Managing Director Saadia Zahidi said the report “offers an early warning system as the age of competition compounds global risks — from geoeconomic confrontation to unchecked technology to rising debt — and changes our collective capacity to address them.
“But none of these risks are a foregone conclusion.”
The report assesses risks across three timeframes: immediate (2026); short-to-medium term (next two years); and long term (next 10 years).
Economic risks show the largest overall increase in the two-year outlook, with both economic downturn and inflation jumping eight positions.
Misinformation and disinformation rank fifth this year but rise to second place in the two-year outlook and fourth over the 10-year horizon.
The report suggests this reflects growing anxiety around the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, with adverse outcomes linked to AI surging from 30th place in the two-year timeframe to fifth in the 10-year outlook.
Uncertainty dominates the global risk outlook, according to the report.
Surveyed leaders and experts view both the short- and long-term outlook negatively, with 50 percent expecting a turbulent or stormy global environment over the next two years, rising to 57 percent over the next decade.
A further 40 percent and 32 percent, respectively, describe the outlook as unsettled across the two- and 10-year timeframes, while just 1 percent anticipate a calm global outlook in either period.
Environmental risks ease slightly in the short-term rankings. Extreme weather fell from second to fourth place and pollution from sixth to ninth. Meanwhile, critical changes to Earth systems and biodiversity loss dropped seven and five positions, respectively.
However, over the next decade, environmental threats re-emerge as the most severe, with extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and critical changes to Earth systems topping the global risk rankings.
Looking ahead over the next decade, around 75 percent of respondents anticipate a turbulent or stormy environmental outlook, making it the most pessimistic assessment across all risk categories.
Zahidi said that “the challenges highlighted in the report underscore both the scale of the potential perils we face and our shared responsibility to shape what comes next.”
Despite the gloomy outlook, Zahidi signaled a positive shift in global cooperation.
“It is also clear that new forms of global cooperation are already unfolding even amid competition, and the global economy is demonstrating resilience in the face of uncertainty.”
Now in its 21st year, the Global Risks Report highlights a core message: global risks cannot be managed without cooperation.
As competition intensifies, rebuilding trust and new forms of collaboration will be critical, with the report stressing that today’s decisions will shape future outcomes.
The report was released ahead of WEF’s annual meeting, which will be held in Davos from Jan. 19 to 23.
