SYDNEY RAINS: RECORD RAINFALL BRINGS FLOODING AND DOUSES FIRESThe Australian city of Sydney has been hit by its heaviest rain in 30 years,bringing flooding and travel chaos and forcing thousands from their homes.The state weather agency said 391.6mm of rain had fallen in the past fourdays, and warned of potentially life-threatening flash floods.About 100,000 homes have also been left without power.But the rains have also put out many of the bushfires which have tornthrough New South Wales in recent months.Among them is the Currowan fire which had burned for 74 days around the townof Shoalhaven, destroying nearly 500,000 hectares and 312 homes.The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has warned that fire-hit areas can beparticularly prone to flooding, and that fast-moving waters can carry largeamounts of debris.There are still 31 fires burning in New South Wales, but none are consideredan immediate danger at present.The massive rainfall has also replenished water supplies in the region,which has been battling years of drought.The Warragamba Dam, which supplies most of Sydney's water, is headingtowards being 70% full, says WaterNSW.At the end of last week it was at only 42% after one of the driest years onrecord.

AFRICA HOLDS 'SILENCE THE GUNS' SUMMITAfrican Union Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat told leaders of the55-member bloc, which held its annual summit in Addis Ababa, that new crisesin Cameroon and Mozambique had joined lingering conflicts in Libya and SouthSudan.The continent was hampered, said Mahamat, "by "terrorism, intercommunalconflict and pre- and post-election crises."He noted, however, progress in Central African Republic and Sudan, after itscivic uprising and reiterated the AU's intention to find "African solutionsto African problems."Ramaphosa takes over AU chairSouth African President Cyril Ramaphosa - taking over the AU chair fromEgyptian ruler Abdel Fattah el-Sissi - said he planned two summits in Mayfocused on conflict resolution and the other on African continent freetrade.Full UN support for AU initiativeVisiting the summit, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said silencingthe guns was about human rights and sustainable development, and the AU'sinitiative had the UN's full support.Reacting to AU complaints about being sidelined on Libya, Guterres spoke ofa "new framework of cooperation" to overcome AU vagaries over how to fundits inclusion in peace keeping missions.On Friday, the International Crisis Group think-tank had urged the AU tofinalize an agreement that would see the UN financing 75% of peacekeepingmissions, when endorsed by the UN Security Council.Guterres said African peacekeeping contributions must be adequately andpredictably financed.HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS POUND UK AND EUROPE, UPEND TRAVELStorm Ciara battered the U.K. and northern Europe with hurricane-force windsand heavy rains Sunday, halting flights and trains and producing heavingseas that closed down ports. Soccer games, farmers' markets and culturalevents were canceled as authorities urged millions of people to stayindoors, away from falling tree branches.The storm, named by the U.K.'s Met Office weather agency, brought galesacross the country and delivered gusts of 97 miles per hour to the Isle ofWhite and 93 mph (150 kph) to the village of Aberdaron in northern Wales.Propelled by the fierce winds, a British Airways plane was thought to havemade the fastest New York-to-London flight by a conventional airliner.The Boeing 747-436 completed the 3,500-mile transatlantic journey in 4 hoursand 56 minutes, landing 102 minutes early and reaching a top speed of 825mph (1,327 kph), according to flight tracking website Flightradar24. TwoVirgin Airlines flights also roared across the Atlantic, with all threesmashing the previous subsonic New York-to-London record of 5 hours and 13minutes, Flightradar24 reported.Storm surges ate away at beaches and pounded rock cliffs and cement docks.The Met Office issued more than 250 flood warnings, and public safetyagencies urged people to avoid travel and the temptation to take selfies asfloodwaters rose. Residents in the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland innorthwest England battled to protect their homes amid severe flooding as theRiver Eden burst its banks.At least 10 rail companies in Britain sent out "do not travel" warnings,while nearly 20 others told passengers to expect extensive delays. Thestrong winds damaged electrical wires and littered train tracks with brokentree limbs and other debris, including a family trampoline.Huge crowds of stranded, frustrated travelers were seen at London's King'sCross and Euston train stations. Train crews planned to work all night totry to restore service, but Monday morning commutes were expected to be longand chaotic.FRANKFURT AIRPORT CANCELS ABOUT 100 FLIGHTS DUE TO STORM SABINEAround 100 flights to and from Frankfurt airport, Germany's largest hub,have been cancelled so far on Sunday due to storm Sabine, a spokeswoman forairport operator Fraport said.The number represents around 8% of the roughly 1,200 departures and arrivalsplanned in Frankfurt for the day, the spokeswoman said, adding cancellationswould increase in the late afternoon when gale-force winds are expected toarrive in the city.