- Biden commutes sentences for 37 of 40 federal death row inmates
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- Honda and Nissan to launch merger talks
- Police arrest suspect who set woman on fire in New York subway
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- Australian tennis star Purcell provisionally suspended for doping
- Luxury Western goods line Russian stores, three years into sanctions
- Wallace and Gromit return with comic warning about AI dystopia
- Philippine military says will acquire US Typhon missile system
- Afghan bread, the humble centrepiece of every meal
- Honda and Nissan expected to begin merger talks
- 'Draconian' Vietnam internet law heightens free speech fears
- Israeli women mobilise against ultra-Orthodox military exemptions
- Asian markets track Wall St rally as US inflation eases rate worries
- Tens of thousands protest in Serbian capital over fatal train station accident
- Trump vows to 'stop transgender lunacy' as a top priority
- 'Who's next?': Misinformation and online threats after US CEO slaying
- Only 12 trucks delivered food, water in North Gaza Governorate since October: Oxfam
- Langers edge Tiger and son Charlie in PNC Championship playoff
- Explosive batsman Jacobs gets New Zealand call-up for Sri Lanka series
- Holders PSG edge through on penalties in French Cup
- Daniels throw five TDs as Commanders down Eagles
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- Mancini admits regrets over leaving Italy for Saudi Arabia
- Run machine Ayub shines as Pakistan sweep South Africa
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- 'Incredible' Liverpool must stay focused: Slot
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- Three and easy as Dortmund move into Bundesliga top six
- Liverpool hit Spurs for six, Man Utd embarrassed by Bournemouth
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- Syria's new leader says all weapons to come under 'state control'
- 'Sonic 3' zips to top of N.America box office
- Rome's Trevi Fountain reopens to limited crowds
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- Pope again condemns 'cruelty' of Israeli strikes on Gaza
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- Troubled Man Utd humiliated by Bournemouth
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- Man Utd embarrassed by Bournemouth, Chelsea held at Everton
- France awaits fourth government of the year
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- Neville says Rashford's career at Man Utd nearing 'inevitable ending'
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Rooftop rescues as tens of thousands evacuated from Australia floods
Tens of thousands of Australians were ordered to flee their homes Monday, as torrential rain sent floodwaters to record levels, leaving residents stranded on the rooftops of their homes.
Seven people have died, and the country's weather bureau has warned further severe thunderstorms and intense rainfall will cause "life-threatening flash flooding" for a swathe of the central Pacific coastal region.
In the country town of Lismore, resident Danika Hardiman woke Monday morning to find mud-brown floodwaters had reached the balcony of her second-floor apartment.
She and her partner managed to climb up to the roof, where they were spotted by passing kayakers, who flagged down a makeshift rescue boat.
"We were rescued by two guys in a boat, two locals," Hardiman told AFP, describing the scenes in Lismore as "horrific".
"Imagine you're in a boat sailing past people's roofs," she said.
"The scary thing is this is just the beginning, there's lots of rain to come."
With the town's levees already breached, 43,000 residents have been ordered to leave immediately.
Emergency services were overwhelmed by calls for aid, leaving some locals -- including Lismore's mayor Steve Krieg -- to turn to social media for help.
"If anyone has a boat and can get to Engine Street, there's a pregnant lady sitting on her roof. HELP Please," he posted on Facebook Monday.
Emergency rescue services said they had also deployed a helicopter to pluck other stranded residents from rooftops.
- A miraculous rescue -
Water levels in Lismore have not yet reached their expected peak of 14 metres (46 feet) -- but they are already the worst floods the town has experienced.
Across eastern Australia flooding has now killed seven people, after a 59-year-old man was swept away by strong currents just outside Brisbane.
Millions of people have been told to stay home and nearly 1,000 schools in the state of Queensland remain closed because of the floods.
A 70-year-old man miraculously survived after his houseboat, swept along by the raging Brisbane River, collided with a ferry terminal and quickly sank.
Members of the public were able to rescue the man, with one telling public broadcaster ABC they had linked arms to create a human chain and fish the man from the river unharmed.
"I don't know how he survived it, to be honest," onlooker Matthew Toomey said.
Rain began to ease in Brisbane Monday but authorities expect the severe weather to continue this week as the "rain bomb" continues to travel south along the Australian coast.
H.Silva--PC