ABC News Top Stories

Major AI player Anthropic has chosen Queensland to launch its first Australian-based operations. The $32 billion dollar data centre on the Western Downs is set to be the largest in Australia and will draw as much power as about 1.5 million average Australian households. The ABC understands Anthropic would use to power its artificial intelligence program Claude to answer user questions, rather than for training AI models. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is on the verge of unveiling changes designed to ensure Labor meets its migration targets. International students are expected to be barred from bringing family members to Australia under the crackdown. And the Saudi military says it's shot down a drone flying towards the holy city of Mecca. It's blamed the Houthis for the attempted attack which the Houthis have denied. Press the 'Follow' or '+' button on this show page to add us to your playlist, so you never miss an episode. For more news, politics and current affairs podcasts go to ABC listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal opposition has urged the government to introduce legislation to regulate artificial intelligence by Christmas. There are fresh concerns about the federal government's controversial invite-only grants scheme, this time involving a project in Health Minister Mark Butler's electorate.  A Republican politician has initiated an impeachment process in the US Congress which could lead to a vote over Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's removal from office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The government has rejected criticism it's selling artists out to big tech, as leaked policy documents reveal the government is considering making inclusion in AI model training opt-out by default. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A prominent athlete has told a Sydney court he sent Alan Jones messages wishing him the best for the holidays after two alleged indecent assaults because he was being polite. The complainant was questioned why he sent Mr Jones well wishes over the Christmas holidays several months after the last alleged incident. The federal opposition has accused the government of not stumping-up enough support for workers in Whyalla in South Australia. Yesterday, the state and federal governments announced a $10.2 million-dollar package to help the hundreds of workers in the steelmaking town who are losing their jobs because the blast furnace is shutting down. And One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson says she didn't mean to upset anyone by calling Indigenous Australians the "most primitive race on Earth" and regrets saying that. Resurfaced comments on a conservative podcast last year questioning what First Nations Australians have contributed to the country have been widely criticised and called derogatory and racist. Press the 'Follow' or '+' button on this show page to add us to your playlist, so you never miss an episode. For more news, politics and current affairs podcasts go to ABC listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Energy minister Chris Bowen has made no promises to reintroduce targeted relief at the bowser, as global oil prices surge to a four-month high. US President Donald Trump claims that he is a sufficient guardrail against rogue artificial intelligence. An agreement pledging to break up the United Kingdom has been signed by the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal Opposition Leader has criticised One Nation's plan to slash immigration for lacking important detail.  Indonesian police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide after the bodies of an Australian man and his two children were found in a home in Bali.  Oil prices have risen again with Brent crude futures hitting 108 dollars a barrel.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It looks like the leaders of AI technology are willing to put competition aside to band together. A number of the them say they agree that the development of artificial intelligence should be slowed down to protect the future of humans. That's right on cue, because recently there have been serious alarms raised about AI, and the possibility of an AI Armageddon.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U-S President Donald Trump says he's confident a peace deal with Iran will be reached very shortly. Six months after the U-S and Israel launched strikes against Tehran, the conflict has widened with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels advancing south along Yemen's coast, choking off the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea. That is bad news for Saudi Arabia, which has been shipping much of its oil from Red Sea ports since the war with Iran ​effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, on the opposite side of the Arabian ‌Peninsula. Mr Trump is also under pressure as he searches for a way out of the conflict, most recently by announcing an economic measures designed to force concessions from Iran's government. + Meanwhile - Ireland's Foreign Minister, Helen McEntee has downplayed comments by US President Donald Trump who has said he would "love" to see British-run Northern Ireland unify with the Irish Republic during a visit to Dublin. Mr Trump's comments come weeks after new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said a referendum on Northern Ireland leaving the United Kingdom was "off the table". Under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, a referendum on Northern Ireland leaving the UK can only be held at the discretion of the British government. + Leaders from 11 BRICS nations have agreed on a joint declaration at their 18th summit in New Delhi. BRICS is a group of major emerging economies seeking greater influence over global institutions. It includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, as well as newer members including Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the group had unanimously agreed on a 45-page declaration covering global conflicts, trade, economics and health. On the Middle East, BRICS expressed "deep concern" over escalating tensions and called for maximum restraint. + A cap on screen-time is being introduced across New South Wales public schools - to help curb excessive device use. From next year, students in kindergarten to Year Two will be limited to 15 minutes a day on their computers and tablets. That time will increase as students get older with year 11's and 12's only permitted to use devices up to half the time in each subject. The new guidelines will also recommend learning with pen and paper, for at least an hour a day. +++ And Canadian super star Celine Dion as shed tears as she performed in her first comeback concert in six years in Paris. The 58-year-old, who is one of the best selling musical artists of all time, was given a huge reception by thousands of fans after she stepped away from performing in 20-22 because of severe muscle spasms, known as "stiff person syndrome." Addressing the audience in the first of 16 concerts in the French capital, Celine Dion says she was determined to come back and perform. Press the 'Follow' or '+' button on this show page to add us to your playlist, so you never miss an episode. For more news, politics and current affairs podcasts go to ABC listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Howard-Evans with the top stories. The man who murdered Molly Ticehurst has been sentenced to 28 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 20 years. Daniel Billings had pleaded guilty to the murder of his ex-partner after he broke into her Forbes home in April 2024 and stabbed the childcare worker several times to the face and neck. Ms Ticehurst's murder has been the catalyst for changes to domestic violence bail laws in the state. The reforms include mandatory electronic ankle monitors for people on bail for certain offences. Share prices have been falling in Asia in response to a sharp rise in oil prices. Japan's Nikkei index dropped by three-percent in early trading, with South Korea's Kospi falling by a similar amount. Brent Crude oil futures are around 108 U-S dollars a barrel, with supplies through the Strait of Hormuz slowing, and Yemen's Houthis threatening tankers in the Red Sea. The ASX is also trading lower. A crowd of exactly 100-thousand-and-21 American football fans have packed out the MCG for the first in-season NFL game played on Australian soil. Officials say the match between the San Franciso 49ers and the LA Rams has attracted 50-thousand people from outside Victoria to Melbourne, including visitors from more than 30 countries. A second NFL game in Melbourne has already been agreed to, with a third in the next four years also a possibility. And for more news at any time you can follow the ABC Top Stories podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former prime minister John Howard says he has no regrets about sending Australian troops into Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. A senior opposition frontbencher has taken a swipe at Pauline Hanson over a satirical cartoon from One Nation that describes Liberal MP Andrew Hastie as a traitor. Dozens of new Australian data centre projects appear likely to escape planned federal rules on water and energy use. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie are in the midst of a very public spat. It's escalated recently over an animated cartoon video created by One Nation which labels Mr Hastie a traitor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Services are being held across the US to remember the nearly 3000 killed on September 11, 25 years on from the deadliest domestic attack in American history. A senior opposition frontbencher has taken a swipe at Pauline Hanson over a satirical cartoon from One Nation that describes Liberal M-P Andrew Hastie as a traitor. Final preparations are underway as the MCG prepares to host around 100-thousand American football fans for the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is backing Andrew Hastie's calls for One Nation to take down a video that describes the Liberal frontbencher as a traitor. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is refusing to delete the satirical cartoon... which she posted to her social media pages in July. Mr Taylor is now also demanding Senator Hanson remove the content. The Senate has signed off on new laws that will double the penalties for social media companies that fail to keep children off their platforms. The government has secured the Greens' support to get the bill through the upper house while the Coalition has voted against it. The legislation will increase the fine to more than 109-million-dollars... and will also introduce penalties for social media companies that refuse to give authorities documents related to their enforcement of the under-16 age restrictions. US President Donald Trump has promised to pay every adult in the country five-thousand dollars if Republicans maintain control of both houses of Congress in November's mid term election. He's made the pledge at a two-day Republican convention in Dallas, in the state of Texas. He says the "dividend" comes with the condition the money must be spent in the US. Republicans could lose their majority in both the house and senate, with voters expressing frustration about issues like inflation and the Iran war. For more news at any time you can follow the ABC Top Stories podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI could kill us by the end of the decade. That is the alarming claim being made by an AI expert in the US who has quit his job over fears that the tech could wipe out humans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The midterm election in the US are fast approaching, less then a couple of months to go. And at the moment things are not looking good for the Republican party. So US President Donald Trump is throwing a two-day convention in Texas in a bid to boost the fortunes of his Party - before the November poll. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Albanese says he was unaware of an honorary membership at Marrickville Golf Club after questions were raised about a six-million-dollar grant promised to the club. Author and biographer Blanche d'Alpuget has died aged 82, with her family remembering her as someone who lived fearlessly and on her own terms. A witness in the Mexican trial over the deaths of Callum and Jake Robinson and Carter Rhoad has told the court the FBI located the bodies of the three men. For more news at any time you can follow the ABC News Top Stories podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Independent senator David Pocock has accused the federal government of using a grants scheme for "pork barrelling". Indonesia's main international airport and several other key air hubs have re-opened after days of closure caused by ash from a volcanic eruption.  Prosecutors have told a Mexican court that witnesses have been intimidated in the lead-up to the trial for three men accused of killing two Australian brothers in Mexico Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A trial is underway in Mexico over the murders of two young Australians two years ago. Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad were murdered while on a surfing holiday in Baja in April 2024. So what do we know about what happened to them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An investigation has found Labor directed the vast majority of a federal election grants scheme into seats favouring the party, including marginal seats it wanted to win in 2025. Australia and Solomon Islands have reached an in-principle agreement on a new treaty that could see Canberra providing close to a billion dollars in support. Indonesia has extended the closure of several airports, after the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano on Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Volcanic ash in the atmosphere has left more than 170-thousand passengers stranded in Indonesia, and forced Qantas to cancel Jakarta flights for a second day. Eight airports remain closed, including Jakarta's main international airport, after Mount Anak Krakatau began erupting late on Friday.  Property developer the Bathla Group is continuing to engage in emergency funding talks as it faces a critical debt crisis. Administrators for Bathla, one of Sydney's biggest residential property developers, have announced short term funding arrangements with five lenders. The property group property group owes creditors $3.4 billion and has now stood down around 200 staff. And the AFL has announced it's introducing limits on contact training for the league's pre-season to reduce the incidence of concussion. From the next pre-season, clubs will be initially limited to a total of 120 minutes of contact training per week, rising to 160 minutes by the end of pre-season. Press the 'Follow' or '+' button on this show page to add us to your playlist, so you never miss an episode. For more news, politics and current affairs podcasts go to ABC listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has defended her plan to allow Australians to tap into their superannuation, despite analysis suggesting it could leave workers tens of thousands of dollars worse off in retirement. The minor party wants to allow Australians to divert a quarter of their 12 percent super payments to their bank account for up to three years. Debt-ridden property developer Bathla Group has reached a short-term funding agreement with five of its lenders, which administrator Teneo says will allow construction to continue on those construction projects. However, construction on other projects will be suspended today, resulting in approximately 213 employees being stood down. And final results show Germany's far-right political party AfD has won a historic state election in a landslide, but has fallen short of achieving an absolute majority. Forming government without an absolute majority will be difficult, as all mainstream parties in Germany refuse to work with the AfD. Press the 'Follow' or '+' button on this show page to add us to your playlist, so you never miss an episode. For more news, politics and current affairs podcasts go to ABC listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Nation is selling a superannuation policy that some economists think is a bad idea, but would see workers able to get access to more of their retirement savings, sooner.  The minor party wants to allow Australians to divert a quarter of their super payments to their bank account for up to three years. It's being pitched as a solution to the cost of living crisis. While it may appeal to some voters, there are warnings about what it would mean for people's savings in retirement and what it could do to inflation and the federal budget. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's magpie swooping season. But how can you avoid becoming the target of a cranky magpie that's just trying to protect its young? Magpie experts have a few tried and tested methods to make sustaining a pecking injury less likely.  One hot tip, it doesn't involve running or waving your hands around.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A political debate's emerged over a school program that teaches students about consent and relationships. The discussion started when Nationals Leader Matt Canavan said the Respectful Relationships curriculum is contributing to a culture that's alienating young boys. So, what's it all about? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal treasurer says One Nation's plan to allow Australians to tap into their superannuation would leave people tens of thousands of dollars worse off in retirement. The federal government has announced it'll provide free qualifications for up to 6000 tradies under a 78 million dollar scheme designed to tackle construction skills shortages. At least five people are dead after an Amazon cargo plane barrelled off a runway at Miami International airport and smashed into cars.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Alternative for Germany party has won more than 44 per cent of the vote in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, led by 35-year-old former fragrance salesman Ulrich Siegmund. It's the first time a far-right party has won a major election in Germany since World War II, when the Nazi Party was in power. So, how did they win over voters? And what does it mean for the rest of Germany? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Australians could soon have more control over what they see on social media under proposed digital duty of care laws.  The reforms would force major platforms to reduce harm and could expose companies to significant fines, while debate continues over algorithms, online safety, and freedom of speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to travel to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, after holding a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aid agencies are warning that health services in Nepal are stretched, more than 10 days after devastating floods in the region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At least 1,300 people have died and more than five thousand remain missing, including 36 Australians, more than 10 days after deadly floods in Nepal and Tibet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The six-week criminal trial of Lindsay Clancy has collapsed without a verdict, with the judge declaring a mistrial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rescue crews in Nepal are pushing ahead with efforts to reach hundreds of workers believed trapped in hydroelectric tunnels after devastating floods last week.  The federal government is expected to release draft legislation next week on its proposed digital duty of care model. Forecasters say parts of southeastern Australia could experience record September temperatures, in a hot start to spring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja has been appointed to lead a new inquiry into military sexual violence. Economists say housing affordability will remain a significant challenge until there is a meaningful increase in supply. US President Donald Trump says his envoys are heading to Moscow and Kyiv this weekend with a new proposal to end Russia's war on Ukraine.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two people have been rescued from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal, nine days on from a devastating flash flooding on the Nepal-Tibet border region. They've been taken to a Kathmandu Hospital, one with non-critical injuries, while the other is unable to move his hands and legs. It's hoped at least 39 others will be saved, after rescuers heard voices through a 50 to 60 metre tunnel they had to dig to reach the workers. 63-year-old Darryl Valroy Young has been found guilty of killing three neighbours at Bogie in north Queensland in 2022. Mervyn and Maree Schwarz and her son Graham Tighe were found dead at the gate of Young's north Queensland cattle station, after Maree's other son Ross escaped the shooting with a bullet wound and raised the alarm.  And fire authorities are calling on Australians to make preparations as the weather warms up. The World Meteorological Organization says the El Nino weather event, which tends to bring hotter and drier conditions, is set to intensify further into 2027 and could be the strongest ever. Press the 'Follow' or '+' button on this show page to add us to your playlist, so you never miss an episode. For more news, politics and current affairs podcasts go to ABC listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

US President Donald Trump has struck out at long time ally Canada after trade talks collapsed, renaming one of the Great Lakes of North America. It's Lake Ontario, which borders the two countries. Or, as Trump would have you now call it, Lake America. Can he just do that and why did Apple and Google Maps fall into line so quickly?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Federal Government's accusing thousands of international students of abusing the visa system, entering on a course they're not really committed to just to come to or stay in Australia. As political pressure from One Nation mounts on the government and Labor delays outlining a new approach to immigration policy, it hasn't launched a broad reworking of the international student system. Instead - it's targeting one particular course and the students who've signed up to it.  It's called The Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two workers have been pulled alive from a tunnel in Nepal nine days after the devastating flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border. Nepal's Energy Ministry says they expect at least 42 others to be rescued from the Thrishuli 3-A hydropower plant. About 900 workers are missing from about a dozen hydropower projects, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped in tunnels. A man who beat a woman he kept as a slave in Melbourne's west will spend at least four years behind bars. 47-year-old Malaysian national Chee Kit Chong bashed and starved the Indonesian woman in her 60s between February and October 2022. And Argentina's President Javier Milei has announced he will sanction oil companies working off the Falkland Islands. He's reiterated his country's claim over the British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean, which Argentina calls Las Malvinas. The UK government says Falkland islanders "are British with a right to determine their own future". Press the 'Follow' or '+' button on this show page to add us to your playlist, so you never miss an episode. For more news, politics and current affairs podcasts go to ABC listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ten Fire and Rescue New South Wales specialists are heading to Nepal today, joining an Australian disaster response mission following the region's catastrophic floods. Public health experts are divided on whether the country's vaping laws should be changed. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he believes the Iranian regime could be taken down for good.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World Meterological Organisation says the world is facing a "super-sized" El Niño event that could be the strongest in more than 70 years. The climate pattern is expected to intensify in the coming months and persist through until February next year. And while its no guarantee of extreme conditions through summer, experts here say it raises the odds of hot and difficult conditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The tobacco excise debate has intensified, with the Coalition proposing to slash the tax by 80 per cent. Throughout this debate, many health experts have cited Canada's success quashing the illicit market by slashing its tobacco taxes by around 50 per cent in the 1994 So what can we learn from the Canadian example?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers says Australia is sending some of its "best people" to search for citizens missing in the Nepal flood disaster. The Shadow Health Minister says reducing smoking rates is not the first priority of the Opposition's illicit tobacco policy.  US President Donald Trump has hinted he wouldn't come to the UK's aid in a potential future conflict with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Victorian girl has died after a weeks-long battle against an infectious disease that her parents say may have been caused by bacteria she contracted at a petting zoo. The girl's family confirmed she had been in hospital with a brain injury and kidney failure caused by haemolytic uraemic syndrome. The syndrome is caused by a type of bacteria known as STEC which can be transmitted from animals to humans. Barnaby Joyce has accused the Coalition of copying One Nation's policy to cut the tobacco excise. One Nation is promising to slash the excise by 75 per cent, and today the Opposition announced it plans to cut the tax by 80 per cent in an effort to reduce the profits of the illicit tobacco market. The World Meteorological Organisation has warned the world is facing a 'supersized' El Nino that is intensifying and will likely persist into early next year. An El Nino was declared by the Bureau of Meteorology in June, the climate pattern typically brings hotter and drier conditions to large parts of Australia. Models indicate this year's event will become the strongest on record, but that doesn't necessarily translate to severe impacts.  Press the 'Follow' or '+' button on this show page to add us to your playlist, so you never miss an episode. For more news, politics and current affairs podcasts go to ABC listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US has declared it will accelerate its military presence in Australia, following a meeting between Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington DC. Any expansion would come on top of the existing US presence in Australia, including US Marine rotations through Darwin and the creation of Submarine Rotational Force - West in WA. The Acting New South Wales Premier has hit back at state opposition claims that government has lost control of crime, after the suspected mistaken identity murders of two men in Sydney this week. A man in his forties was shot yesterday at a house in Merrylands West while university student Marco Tapia was killed earlier this week in his Glen Alpine home. And the Sydney Swans' five exiled players will remain stood down until the end of the AFL season, regardless of how an ongoing police investigation into sexual assault  allegations unfolds. The ABC understands Riley Bice is not being investigated Victoria Police while Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, James Jordan and Nick Blakey have all been spoken to by Sexual Crimes Squad Detectives. No-one has been arrested and no charges have been laid. The police investigation is separate to the club-ordered suspensions. Press the 'Follow' or '+' button on this show page to add us to your playlist, so you never miss an episode. For more news, politics and current affairs podcasts go to ABC listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Research reveals almost one third of lesson time in Australian classrooms is being lost to student misbehaviour. A survey conducted by the Centre for Independent Studies asked nearly 400 primary and secondary teachers about how these disruptions are affecting learning. It also found this was having a significant impact on teacher health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal Opposition says its plan for an 80 per cent cut to the tobacco excise will boost the budget by $2 billion dollars a year. The Coalition has announced that if elected, it would tackle the booming black market by slashing the excise on a packet of legal cigarettes from about $30 to $6. But, Treasurer Jim Chalmers says that while the government recognises the "really serious challenge" presented by illicit tobacco, it remains opposed to cutting the excise. Russian state media has published what it claims are prison recordings of accused spies Kira and Igor Korolev who are currently locked-up in Queensland. The ABC has been unable to independently verify the audio in which Ms Korolev can purportedly be heard saying she "made a mistake" when she "migrated to a different country" and wanted to return to Russia. In Queensland, it's illegal for media to interview prisoners without permission. Queensland Corrective Services said approval had not been given. New research has revealed almost one third of lesson time in Australian classrooms is being lost to student misbehaviour. The report "Classrooms in Crisis" by the Centre for Independent Studies is based on interviews with about 400 teachers from across Australia. It's found teachers reported an average of 9 minutes out of every 30 minutes being lost to classroom disruption. For more news at any time you can follow the ABC News Top Stories podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Police believe they've identified all parties who were in the room the night of an alleged incident linked to the Sydney Swans. Sexual Crimes Squad detectives spoke with four men in New South Wales this week as part of the investigation and say conversations with witnesses continue. Several adult entertainers are understood to have joined a number of Swans players at a hotel in Melbourne in the early hours of the 17th of August . Three women subsequently made a police report. No arrests have been made and no charges have been laid. Police say their investigation is continuing. Nepal's Information and Communications Minister has used an exclusive interview with the ABC to call for stronger international action on climate change after the country's devastating floods. Minister Bikram Timilsina says Nepal is being forced to bear the consequences of a climate crisis it has contributed little to. He says wealthier, higher-emitting nations have a responsibility to help vulnerable countries recover, and warned the disaster should be treated as a sign of what could follow elsewhere. More than 1,100 people died in last week's flood, and thousands remain missing, including 38 Australians. Australian ski resorts are winding up operations early this year after the warmest winter on record. There's been a sharp decline in snowfall across the Australian alps over the past four years which meteorologists say is a tangible sign of a warming climate. For more news at any time you can follow the ABC News Top Stories podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Social media algorithms are under fire over what they're serving up to young men. It's so bad, that Chanel Contos, a sexual consent advocate, thinks it's time to consider switching off the system that offers up content it thinks you'll like. But how would making the algorithms opt-in reduce the influence of misogynist, so-called manosphere content?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five Australians have now been confirmed safe in the Nepal-Tibet flood disaster, with 38 other Australians still unaccounted for.  The Australian economy has defied expectations, growing slightly despite a cost-of-living crunch that hit household spending across the country. The US says its launched a fresh series of strikes against Iranian military targets, in what its calling retaliation for attempted attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More Australians missing in the Nepal-Tibet flood disaster have been found safe.  Strikes between Iran and the US and its allies are continuing, after Washington struck Iran in what it's calling retaliation for attempts to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz.  Tensions between China and Palau are intensifying as the Pacific Islands Forum continues, largely over the host nation's support for Taiwan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Four more Australians have been confirmed safe in the Nepal-Tibet flood disaster. America has launched more strikes on Iran, which US President Donald Trump says were in response to recent Iranian attempts to strike commercial ships and American troops in the region. Australia is being warned it must find more than 70,000 energy sector workers to meet demand being fuelled by the AI boom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices