A powerful earthquake hit central Indonesia on Friday, causing a tsunami that slammed into a city on Sulawesi island with officials saying the tremor had leveled "many" buildings.

A large, very strong typhoon churned towards Japan Friday, with the weather agency warning the storm would rip through the nation over the weekend, bringing violent winds and torrential rain.

World leaders have gathered in New York to try to breathe new life into the Paris global climate accord, amid backsliding from several nations over commitments made in the historic deal.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that trade agreements will be contingent on membership in the Paris climate pact, in a clear bid to pressure the United States.

An ardent critic of an Australian rare earths plant in Malaysia said Tuesday she will head a government review into the controversial site after her political alliance took power at landmark elections.

Heads of state and government on Monday kicked off "Climate Week," held every year on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly, by urging world leaders to act urgently to reduce global warming.

A tornado sparked chaos near the Canadian capital Ottawa on Friday, injuring dozens as homes were damaged, cars flipped over, and over 130,000 people left without power, local media said.

They arrived in New York from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island in September 2017, leaving widespread devastation in its wake and a death toll that would spiral to almost 3,000. 

Catastrophic floods raised the threat of landslides and dam failures across the southeastern United States on Monday, prolonging the agony caused by a killer hurricane that has left more than a dozen people dead and caused billions of dollars in damage.

Macau shut down all its casinos in a historic first as Typhoon Mangkhut approached Sunday, with authorities warning the gambling enclave would be hit by severe flooding.