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Australia news — Achol Arok and Nick Visser
That’s where we’ll leave our live coverage for the day.
Before we go, let’s recap the day’s top headlines:
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has confirmed the number of Australians missing in the devastating Nepal floods has increased overnight from 35 to 39.
Voluntary assisted dying laws have been passed in the Northern Territory after debate over a gag clause barring doctors from raising end-of-life options with patients.
One Nation has named investment banker Mike Newman as its NSW leader and first lower-house candidate before the March 2027 state election.
The chief executive of an Australian wagering company has criticised the Albanese government’s gambling ad changes , saying they should have done more to shield children from betting content around live sport.
Australia’s second-largest airline, Virgin Australia, has lifted its annual earnings despite headwinds from the US-Iran war , which disrupted passenger travel plans and increased jet fuel costs.
A man allegedly rammed a police vehicle before firing a shot at a PolAir helicopter in a wild chase over hundreds of kilometres in Queensland, during which multiple vehicles were stolen.
The Australian government will withdraw 24 expeditioners from its Macquarie Island research station due to the psychosocial risks to staff of witnessing a potential H5 avian influenza (bird flu) mass mortality event. And a dolphin has died from H5 bird flu in South Australia , marking the second native mammal species known to have contracted the virus.
Thanks for sticking around, have a lovely weekend!
Hanson tells star candidate to stop speaking Japanese
A newly announced One Nation candidate has been scolded by Pauline Hanson for speaking Japanese at his official unveiling, AAP reports.
Former NSW trade commissioner Mike Newman will stand as the party’s lead candidate and run in the traditionally Labor-voting seat of Cessnock in the Hunter Valley.
Newman admitted he had not lived in the state for 25 years but refused to answer questions about moving to the seat he will contest.
During a press conference in Singleton, Newman responded in Japanese to a question from a foreign media outlet before being told off by his boss. Hanson told her candidate:
“I think everyone else might appreciate [English].
Mr Newman continued to answer the question on how a One Nation government would support Asian investment in Japanese before translating into English.
Despite the One Nation leader’s calls for a “monoculture” and her infamous 1996 speech in parliament where she spoke of the danger of being “swamped by Asians”, the candidate shut down suggestions his party had a culture of racism. Newman told News24 separately:
My wife’s Japanese, so if I thought for even a fleeting second that [One Nation] were racist … All my business partners are Indians who are absolutely patriotic Aussies, I don’t really see that.
Victorian multicultural affairs minister offers support to local Nepali community
Victoria’s multicultural affairs minister, Paul Edbrooke, has offered his “deepest sympathy” to the victims, families and friends affected by the fatal flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border.
Edbrooke, who said the “Nepali community is one of the fastest growing in Victoria” continued:
We stand with you in your moment of pain.
If there is anything the Victorian Government can do to support your community through this period, we will.
We commend the efforts of emergency services and volunteers in Nepal and China, who are working tirelessly.
And we again extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and communities in mourning.
Who actually benefits from new datacentres in Australia? – Australian Politics podcast
The latest episode of the Australian Politics podcast looks at this week’s political disagreements over AI data centres’ energy requirements, WA’s GST deal and migration arrival numbers – through the lens of public policy and economics.
Hear from political editor Tom McIlroy , economics editor Patrick Commins and Grattan Institute’s CEO Dr Aruna Sathanapally .
Related: Who actually benefits from new datacentres in Australia? - podcast
Productivity Commission to review national agreement on Closing the Gap
The federal government has announced a second review of the Closing the Gap national agreement with the Productivity Commission being tasked with assessing the overall effectiveness and impact of federal, state and territory governments and the Coalition of Peaks.
The federal government says the commission will undertake a “more explicit” look at funding, investments and Aboriginal community-controlled sector resources to see how government spending supports and reaches the agreement’s 19 targets which aim to address various social, justice and health inequities experienced by Indigenous communities.
The commission will consult broadly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and organisations, as well as with local, state, territory and commonwealth governments.
The Productivity Commission is expected to deliver its report by the end of 2027. It’s the second review into the agreement after a two-year comprehensive consultation and report in 2024 .
The Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy , said the government is committed to Closing the Gap and ensuring all parties work effectively together. McCarthy said:
The National Agreement provides a pathway for change for First Nations people and communities, and we are building on what is working.
The Productivity Commission review, along with the Independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led Review, is an important part of making sure all partners are accountable to their commitments to the National Agreement.
The Coalition of Peaks lead convener, Donnella Mills , said the agreement was a “landmark framework” that required organisations and government to work together to achieve reform.
The National Agreement is a landmark framework – ambitious in scope, grounded in four Priority Reforms and designed to change the way governments work with our people and communities.
Governments must be held to account for delivering on the funding commitments agreed in the Closing the Gap Agreement. That is what this review will deliver, a clear view of whether that investment has been made.
Aussie shares recover as tech and bank stocks bounce
Australia’s share market is staging a modest recovery, edging higher after a midweek inflation surprise hammered hopes that the Reserve Bank’s interest rate hiking cycle was over, AAP reports.
The S&P/ASX200 rose 30 points by midday, up 0.33% to 9,068.1, as the broader All Ordinaries lifted by 28.6 points, or 0.31% to 9,271.8.
Despite an overnight rally in US technology stocks supporting local IT names, domestic and global risks were weighing on investor confidence. Westpac economist Mantas Vanagas said:
Investors and analysts continue to assess the implications for future Reserve Bank policy decisions, now fully pricing in a rate hike before the end of the year, up from only a 50% chance at the start of this week.
Oil prices took a step higher after reports suggested that President Trump had rejected the idea of re-establishing the terms of the memorandum of understanding the US signed with Iran in June.
Consumer staples eased 1.1%, falling for a second session after rallying on the back of strong results from Coles and Woolworths, while cyclicals were down 1.7% since Monday.
Australian IT stocks outperformed the broader market, the segment charging 4.6% higher, as WiseTech, Xero and Technology One soared.
The Australian dollar is buying 71.97 US cents, up from 71.84 US cents on Thursday at 5pm.
Dolphin dies from H5 bird flu in South Australia
A dolphin has died from H5 bird flu in South Australia, marking the second native mammal species to which the virus is known to have spread.
The common dolphin was found recently deceased near Goolwa on the state’s Fleurieu Peninsula and reported by a member of the public. State tests confirmed the animal was positive for H5N1 but samples had been sent to the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness for further analysis. A government spokesperson said:
While the detection in the common dolphin is a new development in Australia, there is evidence of dolphins and porpoises catching H5 bird flu overseas. Dolphins would not commonly eat birds but it is not unusual for them to sometimes interact.
It follows two earlier detections in long-nosed fur seals in SA at Beachport and the Pages Islands and a suspected detection in a red fox – a feral pest species – near Port Adelaide.
The federal government’s risk assessment rated common dolphins at high risk from bird flu, meaning they potentially face severe population declines where the virus takes hold.
UN response underway after ‘catastrophic’ flash floods devastate Nepal–Tibet border
Footage posted to social media by the United Nations shows the aftermath of deadly flash floods that swept through the Nepal–Tibet border.
The UN is among a number of humanitarian partners aiding the government-led response to the disaster.
Australian Antarctic expeditioners withdrawn because of bird flu outbreak
The Australian government will withdraw 24 expeditioners from its Macquarie Island research station as an expected H5 avian influenza (bird flu) mass mortality on the remote island poses psychosocial risks to staff.
The research station, where the 24 staff live and work, sits on the Southern Ocean island about 1,500km south-east of Tasmania.
While bird flu has not yet been detected on the island, experts “predict a high likelihood of a significant mortality event during the upcoming breeding season”.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) said the decision was “a necessary precaution” to protect staff from potential “prolonged psychological stress and other workplace impacts”.
The DCCEEW deputy secretary, Sean Sullivan , said the move was an “unusual measure, but is the most appropriate course of action”.
Our first priority is the health and safety of our expeditioners. While the risk to humans of H5 bird flu is considered low, we can’t ignore the psychosocial risks of living near potentially large numbers of affected animals. Our expeditioners already live and work in one of the world’s most remote and challenging environments. It is important that we minimise any additional risks that could affect the wellbeing of our people and the safe operation of our stations.
I’m passing the blog to Achol Arok, who will be your guide.
Smartraveller updates travel advice for Nepal
Smartraveller has released new advice for Nepal this morning after the flooding, noting roads, transport and infrastructure are significantly damaged after the event.
The agency says transport services may be disrupted or cancelled, and travellers should monitor local media and speak with their travel companies if needed, as well as follow the instructions of local authorities.
Smartraveller says it continues to advise Australians to exercise a “high degree of caution” in the area:
Contact your family, next of kin or travel provider to confirm your safety. Avoid flood-affected areas. Stay away from riverbanks and low-lying areas. Seek higher ground immediately. Postpone overland travel between Nepal and Tibet in China, including Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar circuits.
We continue to advise ‘exercise a high degree of caution’ overall in Nepal due to the risk of road accidents and natural disasters.
King Charles says UK stands ready to support region affected by Nepal floods
King Charles released a statement last night saying he is “heartbroken” after the devastating flooding in Nepal and China.
“Many in the United Kingdom have strong, deep and personal ties to this part of the world,” he wrote. “We send our most profound sympathy to all those who have so tragically lost their loved ones and we feel deeply for the many families awaiting anxiously the news of friends and relations.”
Our hearts go out also to the families of all the police and Armed Forces personnel who lost their lives while carrying out their courageous duty in the service to others and we give our deepest thanks to those who have responded so selflessly in undertaking rescue efforts.
He said the UK stands ready to help support the region.
Two arrested after shot allegedly fired at police helicopter in Queensland
A man allegedly rammed a police vehicle before firing a shot at a PolAir helicopter in a wild chase over hundreds of kilometres in which multiple vehicles were stolen.
AAP reports Queensland police have charged two men with a string of firearms, arson and theft offences from 24-27 August between Childers, in Queensland’s Wide Bay region, and Noosa on the Sunshine Coast.
The chase kicked off after about 9am on Monday when multiple firearms were alleged to have been stolen from an address in Childers. The men then allegedly stole a series of vehicles, using one to drive towards a police vehicle on Thursday morning. One man, 44, was arrested after that incident, but the other, 21, allegedly fled before firing a shot towards the helicopter.
The 21-year-old man has been charged with 30 offences including three counts of serious assault of a police officer as well as burglary, armed robbery, weapons and arson offences.
The 44-year-old man has been charged with 15 offences including one count of serious assault of a police officer plus weapons, arson and burglary offences.
The men are both expected to appear in Maroochydore magistrates court later on Friday.
Virgin’s profit rises as fuel volatility defence works
Australia’s second-largest airline has lifted its annual earnings despite headwinds from the US-Iran war, which disrupted passenger travel plans and increased jet fuel costs.
AAP reports Virgin Australia , which re-listed on the stock exchange in June 2025, on Friday reported its first full-year profit as a full company member of the local bourse.
While its first half 2025/26 performance was strong, conditions were more challenging in the second half due to cost pressures and the US-Iran war, which made fuel markets very volatile.
Virgin made a bottom-line net profit of $501.2m for 2025/26, up 4.7% from the previous financial year.
Its underlying earnings – before interest and tax – came to $753.2m, a jump of 13.4% for the 12 months ended 30 June, on an underlying revenue and income lift of 8.1% to $6.3bn.
Save the Children warns kids will be among the most vulnerable during Nepal recovery
Save the Children , a major international charity, said kids will be among the most vulnerable and need the most support during rescue and recovery efforts in Nepal. Rescuers are hunting for survivors and delivering emergency aid, with many places still only accessible by helicopter.
Tara Chettry , the country director in Nepal for the group, said:
In the aftermath of a disaster like this, children are among the most vulnerable and face heightened risks to their health, safety, protection and wellbeing.
They will be confused and distressed after witnessing such devastation. Identifying any separated or unaccompanied children must be a priority for the rescue and response teams.
Some new images of the catastrophic damage left after the Nepal floods have come through this morning
Gambling company says Albanese’s ad changes a ‘missed opportunity’
The chief executive of an Australian wagering company has criticised t he Albanese government’s gambling ad changes , saying they should have done more to shield children from betting content around live sport.
Betr’s chief executive Andrew Menz told investors his company consulted with the federal government to “promote safer gambling and protect children and vulnerable people from exposure to wagering advertising”.
Earlier this month, the government capped the number of gambling ads on TV to three an hour between 5am and 8.30pm. Gambling ads cannot be played within 15 minutes of live sport on television, rather than the previous five minute window.
Menz told investors this was a “missed opportunity”:
We see the reforms as a missed opportunity to address the real issue causing concern in our community. And that is, broadcast advertising in and around live sport where no opt-out or age-gating mechanisms can be applied.
Food, emergency supplies and medical support en route to Nepal, Albanese says
Anthony Albanese has said the government is sending crisis and humanitarian response specialists after the devastating flooding in Nepal and China, adding humanitarian assistance is also en route.
That includes food, emergency shelter and medical support. The prime minister wrote on social media:
Our thoughts are with the loved ones of those affected as we urgently work to confirm the welfare of missing Australians.
Australians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact the DFAT’s Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135, or +61 2 6261 3305 (if calling from overseas).
Refugee number intervention reflects government ‘not acting on any core principle’, Greens say
Back to the Greens’ David Shoebridge, who said earlier the Albanese government’s reported intervention on the annual refugee intake reflected a lack of principles.
Reports this week said the government was preparing to cut the number of refugee arrivals from 20,000 to 13,750 in 2027-28. But that news was met with anger from Labor MPs and refugee advocates. Albanese later said the change would not take place.
Related: Albanese vows refugee intake won’t be slashed, shutting down plans of Coalition-level cut
Minister Burke wouldn’t have presented those savage cuts unless he’d been through a process. And then it’s turned on its head by the prime minister in less than 24 hours. This is the problem when a political party is not acting on any core principle. There’s no principle behind what Labor’s doing here about helping people fleeing conflict, about meeting our international commitments.
The world is in tumult … And we have an obligation to do what we can to help people who are just using international law to try and seek some protection.
One Nation announces investment banker as NSW leader before state election
One Nation has named investment banker Mike Newman as its NSW leader and first lower-house candidate before the March 2027 state election.
Pauline Hanson will announce Newman, a former trade bureaucrat in Asia and the son of former ABC chair Maurice Newman , as the party’s state leader and candidate for Cessnock in the Hunter region at a press conference at 10am in Singleton today. It has previously announced former federal One Nation candidate Stuart Bonds as its first upper house candidate.
In an interview with News24 broadcast today, confirming his candidacy, Newman said the party’s NSW policy platform included reducing payroll tax by half, cutting it completely in regional areas, freezing the number of public servants and bringing in “private-sector style KPIs [key performance indicators] into the public service, especially amongst the senior executives”.
“If you say you’re going to build 20,000 homes, if you don’t build 20,000 homes, you don’t get paid,” he said.
Asked if the party would struggle to reach migrant communities, Newman, who worked in Japan for 25 years, including three years as Investment NSW’s senior trade and investment commissioner in Tokyo, said:
Not really. Look, I mean, my wife’s Japanese, so if I thought for even a fleeting second that [One Nation] were racist – all my business partners are Indians who are absolutely patriotic Aussies, I don’t really see that.
Asked what the party’s plan was to foster social cohesion, Newman said: “We’re going to get rid of wokery, right?”
Clayton Barr, the current member for Cessnock, held by Labor for 38 years, won the two-party preferred vote in 2023 against One Nation by a margin of 23.4%, after the Nationals disendorsed their candidate. One Nation is polling at 25% in NSW, according to the Sydney Morning Herald Resolve poll in July, ahead of the Coalition at 23%, with Labor in front at 29%.
Greens say Australia needs to ‘step up and really commit’ to aiding rebuilding in Nepal
David Shoebridge, the Greens’ spokesperson on foreign affairs, told RN Breakfast earlier the Australian commitment of $5m for affected communities in Nepal “won’t come close to touching the sides” of the calamity.
Shoebridge said the Greens were devastated by the sheer disaster in the region, calling it a genuine global tragedy. He went on to RN:
I think Australia needs to step up and really commit to helping rebuild. This is a country with minimal spare resources. Life is tough in Nepal at most times, but I don’t think $5 million comes close to meeting the scale. …
We also have an obligation to do what we can to meet our targets for carbon and to keep coal and gas in the ground. These things are connected, as much as we don’t want them to be. These things are connected, and unless we address that, these kinds of disasters will continue to happen at a more rapid scale.
A new energy scheme gives Australians three hours of free power a day – but there could be an expensive catch
A government energy deal that promised three free hours of power to houses without solar panels carries higher charges that make it an expensive option for many households, observers say.
Solar Sharer was switched on in July, with customers in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia able to opt in to the plan, which includes three free hours of electricity in the middle of day.
However Gavin Gilchrist , a project manager at Inner West Community Energy, said in his part of Sydney, the supply and peak use charges on Solar Sharer were “much, much higher”, and in some cases nearly double the rate of other market offers.
Related: A new energy scheme gives Australians three hours of free power a day – but there could be an expensive catch
Coalition fully supports government’s support for Nepali flood response
Ted O’Brien, the shadow minister for foreign affairs, said the Coalition fully supports the government’s support of Nepal after the massive flooding in which 39 Australians are missing.
O’Brien spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying he supported the level of assistance given so far:
The government does have the opposition’s support and I believe it is responding in the right way. Of course, this is an absolute tragedy. And first and foremost, on behalf of the Coalition, I just want to express my absolute devastation and to send a message of love and thoughts to all Australians of Nepalese or Tibetan heritage and any Australians who still have family members and loved ones missing.
The government is in the driver’s seat. Of course, this is a very difficult set of circumstances and information is coming in very quickly … No doubt there will be further information as time goes on. But the commitment already provided through various agencies, the Coalition supports.
NSW begins H5 bird flu vaccination program for vulnerable species
NSW has begun a vaccination program for vulnerable species of birds to protect them against H5 bird flu.
The state said a mixture of populations in captivity and wild populations will be vaccinated, including little penguins in Manly and on Barunguba Montague Island. Taronga Conservation Society has also given Carnaby’s black cockatoos and red-tailed black cockatoos the initial dose of the two-dose vaccine course.
Other wildlife facilities will also join the vaccination program to ensure as many species as possible can be covered.
The vaccine requires two doses, administered three to four weeks apart. The NSW premier, Chris Minns , said:
While no government can stop the virus from spreading, vaccination programs like this one rolling out at Taronga Zoo are part of our efforts to help protect some of Australia’s most beloved native birds.
Good morning, Nick Visser here to take over the blog. Let’s get to it.
Four additional missing Australians were travelling separately to tours: Wong
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says the four additional Australians confirmed missing overnight in the devastating Nepal floods were travelling separately to the tours.
Fifteen Australians on the Himalayan Glacier Adventure were reported missing, while Kathmandu Holiday Tours and Travels said one of their customers was Australian.
“We understand an additional four Australians who are unaccounted for were travelling separately to these tours,” she told ABC’s Radio National.
Wong said a further increase in the number of Australians missing was an “unfortunate possibility”.
“I know this is an extremely distressing time for those who have loved ones unaccounted for and we are thinking of them,” she said.
Wong said there were a total of 43 consular cases.
Voluntary assisted dying laws have been passed in the Northern Territory after debate over a gag clause barring doctors from raising end-of-life options with patients, Australian Associated Press reports.
The rights of the terminally ill bill passed on a conscience vote in the NT parliament late last night, with the gag intact.
The territory became the first Australian jurisdiction to make voluntary euthanasia legal in 1995, but the laws were overturned in 1997 by the federal government under John Howard.
All six states and the ACT have since passed their own laws allowing it.
The federal veto was only lifted in 2022, restoring the NT’s right to make its own assisted dying laws.
The NT bill requires that only people predicted by doctors to have 12 months or less to live would have access to assisted dying.
In the NT parliament yesterday government backbencher Tanzil Rahman spoke against the gag clause that would bar healthcare professionals from initiating conversations about end-of-life options with patients.
Elderly patients could be bedridden and dying in an aged-care home in a one-clinic town and it would not be compassionate to prevent them talking to a doctor about end-of-life options, he told parliament on Thursday.
“If the facility says no, that’s it,” Rahman said.
“This cannot be a bill for the rights of the terminally ill if we restrict conversations in these premises.”
The opposition leader, Selena Uibo, also argued against residents of aged care institutions being denied information, saying they must be allowed to make informed choices about end-of-life options.
Nepalese community grieves after flooding disaster
The small Himalayan town Keshav Kadel migrated from was not the first to be hit by the floods ravaging his native Nepal, Australian Associated Press reports.
Sitting in the Chitwan district, it is further along the Trishuli River than those more directly in the firing line, such as Gorkha and Rasuwa.
The distance afforded residents more time to flee to higher ground, but it has not been spared the dead.
“What’s happening in my town is that bodies are now flowing in the river,” he told AAP.
“They have slid all the way down and people are pulling bodies from the river.”
At least 360 people have died and hundreds more remain unaccounted for, including 39 Australians, since they began on Wednesday.
Kadel was among members of Nepalese community who gathered yesterday at the Australian Nepalese Multicultural Centre at Diggers Rest north-west of Melbourne, which he serves as vice president.
Families gathered for prayers and held a minute’s silence for those lost to the floods, laying candles beside a hand-crafted display of dyed rice reading “pray for Nepal”.
The diaspora was “united in grief, hope and prayer,” secretary of the centre Sudhir Shakya told the event.
“Behind every number is a person – a mother, a father, a son, a daughter, a relative, a friend, and someone deeply loved,” he said.
Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong has confirmed the number of Australians missing in the devastating Nepal floods has increased overnight from 35 to 39.
In a statement, Wong said the government was “rapidly mobilising consular and humanitarian support in response to the catastrophic floods along the Nepal-China border, including through a $5 million assistance package for affected communities.”
We understand at least 39 Australians are among those reported missing. Australian officials are working urgently to confirm their welfare and provide assistance to those affected.
She said the government would send an initial team of three humanitarian response specialists “within the next 48 hours'” to help Australian staff already on the ground.
The extraordinary scale of this disaster and the remoteness of the affected region mean immense challenges lie ahead for the response and recovery.
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong , has confirmed the number of Australians missing in the devastating Nepal floods has increased overnight from 35 to 39.
Voluntary assisted dying laws have been passed in the Northern Territory jurisdiction after debate over a gag clause barring doctors from raising end-of-life options with patients.
Before we go, let’s recap the day’s top headlines:
This report is published with credit to theguardian.com. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on theguardian.com →
Source: theguardian.com · Achol Arok and Nick Visser. Published 28 Aug 2026, 06:13 am.
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Hundreds have died and thousands are missing after Wednesday's flooding and landslides on the border of Nepal and Tibet.
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