Children seriously injured in a science experiment gone wrong at a Sydney school.

Nearly a dozen children have been burned, two seriously so, in an explosion at a primary school when an outdoor science experiment went wrong during high winds on Sydney's northern beaches.

Ambulance NSW says paramedics and the CareFlight helicopter were deployed to Manly West Public School at Balgowlah, on Monday afternoon, responding to 12 patients with burns.

Eleven students from year 5, believed to be aged around 10, and one adult were treated at the scene before being taken to various hospitals.

All of the children are in a stable condition, however two suffered serious burns and were transported to hospital under the care of specialist medical teams. Nine other children suffered superficial burns and were also taken to hospital for treatment.

The two children with serious burns were taken to Westmead Children's Hospital, five children are being treated at RNS Hospital and four are at Northern Beaches Hospital. The adult who received superficial burns was taken to Northern Beaches Hospital in a stable condition.

Police still on scene at Manly West Public School @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/UoXZI1a5Lu

— Elias Visontay (@EliasVisontay) November 21, 2022

The students were conducting an outdoor science experiment, mixing sodium bicarbonate and methylated spirits.

NSW Ambulance Acting Superintendent Phil Templeman said the experiment was affected by high winds which blew some of the materials around.

"The children have sustained burns to the upper body, chest, face and legs," he said. "Thankfully, the majority of the students were not badly injured."

Police officers initially responded to what was labelled a HAZMAT incident shortly after 1pm on Monday. Concerned parents gathered outside the school gates for news, surrounded by ambulances and police vehicles.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said her department would provide whatever resources the school and community needed in the coming days, including counselling.

"I want to particularly thank and acknowledge all of the school staff who acted so quickly to provide first aid and call emergency services," she said in a statement.

The minister said her department, NSW Police and Safework NSW would carry out their own investigations into the incident.

MP for Manly, James Griffin offered the school help, saying he knew the staff and the students "very well".

"My thoughts go out to all of them," he tweeted.

I know the students and staff at Manly West very well. My thoughts go out to all of them. I have offered the School every and all assistance they need.
I will work with the P&C and school leadership to ensure they get the support they need over the coming days and weeks. #nswpol

— James Griffin MP (@James_HGriffin) November 21, 2022

With AAP.

After abruptly calling off her Las Vegas residency earlier this year, making international headlines, Adele has returned to the stage of the Colosseum at Ceasar's Palace. Here's what went down at her first very tearful performance.

And the first episode of the Kath & Kim retrospective aired last night, but it has been met with very mixed (mainly disappointed) reactions. So now we need to unpack where it all went wrong and why it might have damaged the legacy of this beloved show forever.

Plus, Lisa Wilkinson announced last night that she is leaving The Project. During her announcement, she name-checked a number of high-profile Australian women in media who have also decided to leave their jobs this year and called out the rise in 'targeted toxicity'. This leads us to talk about why we're seeing a real thirst for the takedown of TV golden girls.

Listen to today's episode of The Spill below:

Western Australians are being urged to have their say as the state government prepares to modernise the state's outdated abortion laws.

Pregnancy termination laws have remained unchanged for almost 25 years, forcing some women to travel interstate to access care that is either not lawful in WA or difficult to access. 

The McGowan government says overhauling the legislation will remove clinically unnecessary barriers for women accessing abortion care and bring WA into line with other jurisdictions.

Western Australia is considering further abortion law reforms. They have just released a health discussion paper, with submissions open until 17 December: https://t.co/LAblooqjHj 🎉

— Bonney Corbin (@BonneyCorbin) November 20, 2022

Proposed changes include decriminalising abortion, increasing the gestational limit for a procedure from 20 to 24 weeks, abolishing mandatory counselling and scrapping the need for a GP referral. 

"We want to hear back from the community, primarily (from) women who've experienced the challenges of the current laws and also practitioners who have to work under the current framework," Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said.

"We want to hear what their experience has been like and how they think abortion should look in Western Australia."

Last year, WA passed legislation to allow safe access zones for women accessing abortions, preventing people from picketing within 150 metres of facilities that provide termination services.

Women's Interests Minister Simone McGurk said the changes would be another important step in improving access to abortion care.

"Abortion is a fundamental part of women's healthcare - it's a right that should be fiercely protected," she said. "Safety, privacy and dignity when accessing abortion are vital.

"I urge women to have their say to ensure the legislation remains fit for purpose."

The state government has launched a four-week public consultation period and the legislation is expected to be introduced to parliament in 2023.

- With AAP.

"Heroic" club goers fought and stopped a gunman shortly after he opened fire inside a LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, killing five people and injuring 18 others, according to police.

Police identified the suspect as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, who was taken into custody minutes after the shooting broke out on Saturday night and was being treated for injuries after the attack at Club Q.

Club Q, which describes itself as an adult-oriented gay and lesbian nightclub, called the events a "hate attack" in a statement on its Facebook page. Authorities said they were investigating whether the attack was motivated by hate.

A 22-year-old gunman has opened fire in a gay nightclub in the U-S state of Colorado, killing at least five people and wounding 18.

DETAILS: https://t.co/3LoklGhz6j @lizziepearl #9News pic.twitter.com/Ph5t6KkO86

— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) November 20, 2022

Two firearms were found at the scene, Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said at a press conference on Sunday morning, adding the suspect used a long rifle during the rampage.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who is gay himself, commended the "brave individuals who blocked the gunman" in a statement released on Twitter in which he called the shooting "horrific, sickening, and devastating".

pic.twitter.com/IRh66uQbeE

— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) November 20, 2022

In 2016, a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, before he was shot dead by police. At the time, it was the worst mass shooting in recent US history until a shooter killed 60 people at a music festival in Las Vegas in 2017.

- With AAP.

In case you missed it, Lisa Wilkinson has announced she will no longer be hosting The Project.

The 62-year-old announced the news at the end of last night's episode, saying, "From tonight I'm stepping back from hosting the show."

"Sitting at this desk and working with this incredible team - I can't look at you, Hamish," she continued. "Both in front of and behind the camera, has been an absolute privilege. These people are genuinely some of the most talented and decent humans I know. And you, our passionate, engaged audience, have been so kind in making me feel so welcome in your homes. I've had a ball, but for me, right now, it's time for a change." 

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Wilkinson went on to say that while she's stepping back from the show after five years, she's not leaving Ten. 

"We are looking at some very exciting work ideas ahead," she explained. "But I also have to be honest with you, the last six months have not been easy, and the targeted toxicity from areas of the media has taken its toll.

"Not just on me, but on people I love. Don't get me wrong, I'm not above criticism, far from it," she continued. 

"I'm human, and I don't always get it right, none of us do, but by God I've tried. I've given this job everything I have, and I hope you, at home, know that. I hope I've brought you stories that matter and introduced you to people whose lives and experiences might otherwise never be told, and helped bring into focus issues that deserve our collective attention." 

The news comes just a few months after Carrie Bickmore also announced that she's leaving the program at the end of the year. 

- With AAP.

It may sound like Déjà vu, but COVID's back for a fourth wave. And as much as we’d all love to stick our fingers in our ears and close our eyes, the reality is, cases across Australia are on the rise.

While figures are still 85 per cent below the previous peak of late July, average daily cases last week were 47 per cent higher than the week before.

The spike has led to Queensland raising its alert level from amber to green, and the push to get up to date with vaccines is starting to increase. So what do we know about these new variants, and how concerned should we be? 

Today we answer all of your questions about the current COVID wave, and what it could mean for the next few weeks as we countdown to Christmas. 

Feature Image: AAP.