On Friday afternoon, for example, stories about Kim Jong-un's new haircut, a rugby union player caught selling cocaine, and a fuss over a racist comment on an American comedy show were judged more important than the cyclone battering coastal Queensland, or the Productivity Commission's report on childcare, which may change the lives of millions of parents.
In Bangladesh, emergency managers have dramatically reduced deaths from cyclones battering the coast, using officials on bicycles with whistles to encourage people to make for the cyclone shelters.
He cites the 2009 cyclone that battered Samoa with 20ft waves, caused $400m£301m1m) of damage and delayed the country's "graduation to middle-income country" until 2014.
At least eight people are feared dead after Cyclone Pam battered the south Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, in a weather disaster UN agencies believe could be one of the worst in Pacific history.
Cyclone Pam battered Vanuatu with winds of up to 270kph (170mph).
Last year, Phailin, the name for a massive cyclone which battered India's south-eastern coast and led to the evacuation of more than 500,000 people, was provided by Thailand.
Even as the devastating winds of Cyclone Ivan battered Ambodiatafana village, inhabitants worked desperately to protect themselves and their property against the destruction that was happening before their very eyes.
This was the tail end of Cyclone Chapala, which battered nearby Yemen, killing 11 people on the island of Socotra.
For two days this week, Nepal was lashed by heavy rain brought by the cyclone that also battered neighbouring India, killing at least 24 people.
Percy was also the most damaging of the February cyclones as it battered the Cook Islands, which were still recovering from the impacts of Cyclones Meena, Nancy and Olaf.
As the heaviest rains in a quarter of a century battered Sri Lanka, cyclone Roanu barrelled into the Bangladesh coastline leaving six people dead and forcing the evacuation of 500,000 as it unleashed winds as strong as 54mph and heavy downpours.
