A man in Washington state was critically injured Sunday after he was crushed by a large tree that crashed into his living room as high winds created havoc across the Pacific Northwest. A man in his 60's was sleeping on the couch in the living room when the 200-foot tree came crashing down on his apartment, pinning him on the couch. Fire officials said that since the tree was across the man's pelvis, specialized equipment and trained technicians were requested. The man was trapped for about one hour and 40 minutes before crews were able to free him. Photos released by the fire department show the size of the tree that entered the apartment and the complexities involved in the rescue.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT! This is the shocking moment a man crashed his vehicle into a highway barrier wall in Mexico and was ejected before dying at a local hospital hours later. The accident occurred Sunday afternoon in Naucalpan, a city northwest of Mexico City, when Alan Mauricio Huerta Cortés, 25, lost control of his Mazda and collided against the concrete divider. A surveillance camera captured the horrifying moment the car hit the side of the wall and then took off in the air as Huerta Cortés simultaneously flew out of the vehicle. Huerta Cortés' vehicle did not collide with other cars on the highway.

The 'Leaning Tower of Dallas' has remained standing despite a second attempt to knock it down on Monday. Dozens of people gathered in the center of the Texas city to watch as a crane and wrecking ball were used to batter the former Affiliated Computer Services building from 9am. But the unsightly building was still resembling the wonky stature of Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa by the afternoon despite many tries at demolishing it with force. The 11-story building had found a second life online after surviving a first demolition attempt. It inspired jokes and comparisons to the iconic European site when a February 18 implosion failed to bring down its core.

The European Union is under mounting pressure to suspend the passport-free Schengen travel zone to stop coronavirus spreading across the continent. Seven deaths and 229 infections in Italy has fanned panic in neighbouring countries and sparked a clamour for governments to clamp down on border checks. The 26 Schengen states - including Italy - have abolished border controls, meaning people can pass seamlessly from country to country. Italy's northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto have suffered the brunt of the nation's outbreak, and have been added to a global list with China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and South Korea as coronavirus hotbeds. Some 55,000 residents have been placed under lockdown, with internal police checkpoints, schools shut and public events axed, including the popular Venice carnival. The outbreak rocked Italy's financial markets and by close saw 5.4 per cent wiped off the country's stock exchange.