On the heels of the first tropical storm of what's predicted to be an overactive hurricane season in the United States, alarm bells are ringing over America's Emergency Management funds. Some are worried that the money could run dry as storms continue to roll in. Along the Texas coast, Tropical Storm Alberto brought torrential rains and storms.

US residents are facing severe heatwaves. The heatwave may be the longest New York City has seen in June. Senior residents in Tennessee have found a way to deal with the heat.

Southeastern Australia endured some of the coldest temperatures in years this week. Fire authorities have taken the opportunity to remind families to keep fire safe when warming up their homes. They are also urging families to put together a home fire escape plan.

Australian businesses are facing even longer delays of goods from Europe as the war between Israel and Hamas affects a major cargo shipping route. A voyage through the Red Sea would normally take two days, but under siege by Houthi rebels, it can now take up to ten days. Cargo ships between Asia and Europe are being rerouted with Houthi rebels making the area Rea Sea a no-go zone amid the conflict in Gaza. Vessels are now forced to bypass the Red Sea to avoid the militant group and instead make the long journey around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Adding thousands of kilometres and causing heavy congestion at the Port of Singapore, the major freight hub between Asia and Australia.

Queensland could host one of the smallest summer Olympics in a century, overshadowed by grand plans in Paris and now Los Angeles. LA 2028 organisers have revealed arenas with capacities twice the size of Brisbane. With an October state election approaching, neither the government nor the opposition is willing to commit to plans for a new stadium.

Queenslanders believe fixing the Bruce Highway should be the top road priority ahead of the state election in October. The 1673-kilometre highway has been identified as the number one issue for motorists. The federal and state governments have boosted funding for the Bruce Highway. However, residents want a long-term plan for repairs and upgrades. Safety is a significant concern, as about 45 per cent of the highway has been rated two out of five stars for road infrastructure safety.

Kiwi navy vessels will be based in Tokyo as New Zealand does more to monitor illigal nuclear activity in North Korea. A tanker ship will be based in Tokyo this year, helping with replenishment in the international waters of North Asia. Japan and New Zealand have both flagged their interest in joining the Pillar Two technology-sharing component of the AUKUS security pact.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has finished negotiating a top-secret information security agreement with his Japanese counterpart Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The Kiwi leader is in Tokyo on a three-day trade tour, during which regional security was top of the agenda. Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern began negotiating the security agreement when she was in office.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape this week. During the meeting, the Kiwi leader offered further support to Papua New Guinea after last month's deadly landslide in Enga province. Supplies were initially sent to the remote region using New Zealand defence assets to assist families affected.

Kiwi space company Rocket Lab is signing a deal to launch 10 Japanese satellites from New Zealand. Japan’s space industry is expected to grow by $38 billion in the next 25 years, and New Zealand wants a cut. New Zealand is in a prime location for launches.

Air New Zealand had to divert an Auckland to Tokyo flight via Brisbane to pick up a business delegation. The group was travelling with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon when they became stranded in Papua New Guinea. The New Zealand Defence Force Boeing 757 was stopped in Port Moresby for a refuel and bilat when a fuse issue was identified. The Prime Minister was forced to take the rest of the flight to Japan commercially. The plane could still fly short distances, taking the business delegation to Brisbane. It's not the first time a plane drama has held up the Prime Minister earlier in the year he faced similar problems on the way to a summit in Australia.

NSW Real Estate Institute Chief Executive Officer Tim Mckibbin says new homes being built in Australia “will be welcomed” by the community. “We really don’t care, we’re so desperate for housing stock that we don’t care where the homes come from,” he told Sky News Australia. “However, I think the government’s role in our community is as a regulator, they should be protecting the consumer and looking at systems and processes so that we’re bringing a quality product to market.”

The original cover artwork for the first Harry Potter book is up for auction. Artist Thomas Taylor was one of the first to read J.K. Rowling's original manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. He created the artwork using watercolour and black pencil in just two days. It is currently on display at Sothesby's New York and is expected to fetch between $600,000 and $900,000.

A vaccine to stop Alzheimer's disease which is being spearheaded by an Australian Immunologist is set to begin human trials next week. The study between Professor Nikolai Petrovsky and a US-based medical institute has produced promising results in animal subjects. Testing shows the death of nerve cells and progressive memory loss were delayed by producing antibodies to defend the brain against harmful Abeta proteins. The phase one trial is being conducted in Adelaide and will take roughly a year to conduct.

The Courier Mail Columnist Des Houghton joined Sky News Australia to discuss how Janine Kelly had to leave her family in Western Australia to overcome domestic violence. Mr Houghton says Ms Kelly “started a new life” when a social worker offered her and her daughter two plane tickets to fly to Queensland and escape her circumstances in Western Australia. “She knew that she would have to forever turn her back on her family in Western Australia,” he said. “Come from a dysfunctional place, she was invited to take up an Aboriginal Indigenous academic scholarship and she went to the University of Southern Queensland and did well. “She then went to Griffith University in Brisbane to study filmmaking and did well there.” If you or anyone you know needs support: 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732 Lifeline: 13 11 14 Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

NSW Real Estate Institute Chief Executive Officer Tim Mckibbin says there’s not “too much” light at the end of the tunnel for Australians who are trying to buy a home. “In the budget papers I stumbled across one other comment where the Treasurer had said … he was concerned about the cost of insurance for the emergency services levy because he believed that insurance was unaffordable,” he told Sky News Australia. “What he’s planning to do is move that cost across onto property, so he’s going to have an additional tax on property who clearly can afford it.”

There are reports King Charles and Queen Camilla will be returning to Australia for a royal tour later this year. It will be the first time they pair have visited Australia since 2018. The visit will be scaled back however due to fears from doctors of the King trying to do too much while undergoing chemotherapy for his cancer.

Fitzpatrick Advisory Special Counsel Bruce Hawker says the Labor government has taken Australia “further down” the path of restabilising its relationship with China since the Morrison government. “It was only a few years ago that the Chinese ministers weren’t even taking the calls from ministers in the Morrison government because of how deeply offended the Chinese leadership were to calls to investigate the COVID outbreak,” he told Sky News Australia. “Something which was always going to be very unacceptable to them.”

Scientists are working to harness the intense energy stored beneath the earth's surface. Iceland's volcanoes can be deadly, destructive and strangely beautiful, but scientists are experimenting with its green power. Krafla Magma Testbed's Hjalti Pall Ingolfsson says harnessing the volcanoes energy directly, is a “win, win situation”.

As the southeast endured some of the coldest temperatures in years this week, fire authorities took the opportunity to remind families to keep fire safe when they heat up their homes. A working smoke alarm in each room is recommended to keep safe from fires. Authorities are urging all families to put together a home fire escape plan in case of an emergency.