Scientists believe a comet hitting the Earth caused global warming 55.6 million years ago, an event that can help us understand climate change today.

A potentially dangerous incident involving an escaped gorilla has ``concluded'' at the London Zoo, police say.

Study finds proposed loosening of NSW's land clearing controls expose much of the state's woodlands bulldozers.

Litter volume in NSW has dropped in the past year, but there is one item that continues to be tossed frequently.

A team of researchers scours the wilds of northern Alaska for a big bee that has adapted to the cold and that can teach them more about the effects of climate change.

A walk in the park with an author and her pet also gives insight as to why canines avidly sniff things like toes, rears and corpses.

Australians are being warned to prepare for stormy weather, according to forecasting from the Bureau of Meteorology.

A wet and windy afternoon is set to follow Canberra's mild Monday morning as a cold front moves through the region.

Premier's office will not deny reports but describe them as "speculation".

• EXCLUSIVE

As Premier Mike Baird prepares what some senior MPs expect to be a change to the government's historic greyhound racing ban, the state government is continuing several inquiries into explosive allegations of mass graves and corruption linked to the sport.

Secure the outdoor furniture, protect the pets, Melbourne is expected to be blasted with wind gusts of 120km/h on Sunday afternoon.

Hurricane Matthew slammed into South Carolina on Saturday, packing a diminished yet still powerful punch after killing almost 900 people in Haiti and causing major flooding and widespread power outages as it skirted Florida and Georgia.

The first major hurricane threatening a direct hit on the United States in more than 10 years has lashed Florida after killing at least 478 people in Haiti on its destructive march through the Caribbean.

Western Australia is home to the only place on Earth where our ancient history could one day help us find life on other planets.

• ANALYSIS

If you have just had the biggest failure in the history of Australia's electricity market it makes sense to bring those responsible for it together to talk.

As it ploughed up the coast, Hurricane Matthew largely spared South Florida on Thursday but cut a razor-thin path that threatened to make history: the first major hurricane on record to strike Central Florida's east coast.

The death toll from the deadly storm nears 300 in the Caribbean and is barrelling towards the United States.

A new study finds that great apes show some key abilities to see the world from someone else's point of view - a trait that once was considered uniquely human.

As Hurricane Matthew makes its way up the Florida coast, forecasters now predict that the storm will go into the Atlantic and slam back into Florida.

The Paris climate accord negotiated last year has been ratified by enough countries for it to go into force, but Australia has missed out on being part of the historic moment.

If you have been itching for the hot weather to really set in, the time has come.

The combination of strong winds reaching nearly 100 kilometres an hour and ground sodden with weeks of rain contributed to dozens of trees being uprooted across Canberra on Tuesday.

Gale force winds with gusts of up to 100 km per hour have ripped through parts of NSW leaving up to 10,000 homes and businesses without power. 

• COMMENT

Logging native forests must be a front in the culture wars, because it's not economic.

The hail storm that pelted Melbourne has cleared in time for commuters heading home during peak hour.

Another whale has been caught in a shark net off the Gold Coast, with rescue teams on the way in an attempt to rescue the calf.

As far as congregations go, there would be few as unquestioning as this one.