Perth to Bali Flights Resume After Volcano Eruption Shut Down Airports

Flights between Perth, Australia, and Bali, Indonesia, are slowly getting back on track after a volcano erupted over the weekend and forced eight airports to close. Mount Anak Krakatau, a well-known volcano in Indonesia, erupted on Saturday and Sunday, sending ash and lava high into the sky. The ash cloud drifted into the airspace near Jakarta, Indonesia's capital city, making it unsafe for planes to fly. About 200 flights were grounded and around 22,000 passengers were left waiting for news about their trips.

By Monday morning, several flights from Perth Airport were taking off as planned, giving travellers some relief after a stressful few days. Earlier, passengers had been warned to expect more delays, so the return of flights came as welcome news. Airlines are still working through a backlog of cancelled trips, though, so the situation is not fully back to normal yet. Anyone planning to fly to Indonesia in the next few days is being told to check with their airline directly for the latest updates.

Back in Australia, farmers in Western Australia's Wheatbelt region are facing a very tough situation. Rainfall over the next four weeks will decide whether crops and livestock can survive the coming summer months. This past winter, most of Western Australia received less rain than usual — even the South West, which is normally one of the wetter parts of the state. Farmers are worried they may need to pay millions of dollars to have water carted in just to keep their animals and plants alive.

On the world stage, several other big stories are making headlines today. An Amazon cargo plane crashed at Miami International Airport in the United States, killing at least five people after it ran off the runway and caught fire. In Germany, a politician named Ulrich Siegmund has become very popular by promising to bring back the simpler, more comfortable ways of life from the past. Meanwhile, governments around the world are spending more money than they are taking in, and technology companies keep needing huge amounts of cash — experts warn this could lead to serious economic problems globally.

Here in Australia, a new law being discussed in the Senate could fine social media companies more than $100 million if they do not do enough to stop children under the age of 16 from using their platforms. The bill is being put forward by the Albanese government and is expected to be voted on soon. Supporters of the bill say it is important to protect young people online, while others are still debating exactly how it would work in practice.

Finally, the families of two Perth brothers and their American friend — all killed in Mexico in 2024 — have decided to attend the murder trial in person this week. The families say they want to hear the truth about what happened to the three men. The legal proceedings are expected to begin this week, and the case has drawn attention across Australia.