Australians missing after Nepal flash flood kills dozens

At least 30 Australians are feared missing after a devastating flash flood tore through villages near Nepal's Tibetan border overnight, killing at least 95 people and leaving hundreds of foreign nationals unaccounted for.

The disaster was triggered when an avalanche of rock and ice collapsed into river channels, unleashing a torrent that swept through several communities in the remote mountain region. Nepal's tourism board confirmed at least 350 foreign nationals are missing as rescue teams scour the affected areas on the ground.

Rescue helicopters have so far been unable to land in the worst-hit zones while floodwaters remain dangerously high. Emergency crews are waiting for conditions to ease before mounting a full aerial response.

Closer to home, Queensland Police are under scrutiny after a gun was discovered in plain sight at an Aspley property — hours after officers had wrapped up their investigation into an overnight shooting that left a man critically wounded.

The weapon was found by a 7NEWS camera operator just metres from a public footpath, barely across the road from where police had spent much of the night searching with torches. A local resident expressed disbelief at the oversight, noting the firearm could easily have been picked up by a child.

The shooting victim, a 24-year-old man, was struck in the groin during the overnight incident. A nearby resident who heard the commotion rushed to help, pressing a towel against the wound to stem bleeding until paramedics arrived. The man was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a serious condition, underwent surgery, and has since stabilised enough to speak with investigators.

Police have confirmed forensic analysis is underway to determine whether the recovered firearm is functional and whether it is connected to the shooting. The shooter remains at large and the motive is unknown.

Elsewhere, safety concerns at Sydney Airport are intensifying after two further near-miss incidents were confirmed, bringing the total to six in a single month. Aviation experts warn that six near misses in an entire year would be considered alarming — let alone within a four-week window.

Victoria's tough new adult-sentencing laws for serious juvenile offenders have also come under question after the first teenager charged under the legislation walked free. A 16-year-old girl who stole a taxi at knifepoint and crashed it within hours of the laws taking effect was instead handed an 18-month youth supervision order, with a magistrate citing her troubled background and clean record.

Meanwhile, tributes continue to pour in for country music icon Dolly Parton, with landmarks including Melbourne's cityscape and New York's Empire State Building illuminated in pink in her honour. Fans gathered outside Parton's Nashville home through the day, leaving flowers, cards and balloons near the property she shared with her husband for more than four decades.