THOUSANDS EVACUATED

BRISBANE: Thousands of people are being evacuated from their homes in northeast Australia late on Wednesday, as bushfires raged across the state of Queensland amid a scorching heatwave. Some 8,000 people were told to leave the town of Gracemere as a fast-moving blaze threatened homes. The bureau of meteorology declared a “catastrophic” fire danger – the highest possible risk rating – in some central areas, while firefighters battled to contain more than 130 blazes across the state. The bureau said scorching temperatures had broken records across Queensland, with Brisbane reaching 37.9°C. – AFP