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At least 157 dead in Himalayan disaster; residents in Tasmania angry at planned AI datacentre
Read full story on theguardian.com →
Australia news — Martin Farrer
Good morning. More than 150 people are dead and hundreds more are missing – including a reported 34 Australian tourists – after a flash flood swept away houses, roads and bridges on the Nepal-Tibet border.
Residents in Tasmania are angry at the planning process around a datacentre, while our economics columnist wonders if it’s worth building them at all, and could they cost Donald Trump the midterms?
Plus: Meta settles a landmark lawsuit with US states over harm to children, and the Rocky Horror star Tim Curry has died.
Icac denial | The sister-in-law of former Liberal NSW premier Dominic Perrottet has told the state Icac hearing that she rejected the suggestion that she had been put in an “impossible situation” and lied under oath to cover illegal donations to her husband, an inquiry has heard.
Datacentre debate | As Anthony Albanese endured a tough day wrangling the issue of datacentres at national cabinet, people in northern Tasmania were still seething after their local council approved a new facility that they say threatens to use excessive water and energy.
Health saving | Removing the higher private health insurance rebate for people aged 65 and over is good policy that is unlikely to place additional pressure on public hospitals, according to health economists.
Comic cut | The Egyptian-American comedian Bassem Youssef has announced his imminent Australian tour has been postponed after he was asked to provide background checks as part of his visa application.
Royal commission | From the initial rumpus over Dennis Richardson to victims sharing their anguish, Ben Doherty picks key moments from the four months of the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion.
Himalayan disaster | At least 157 people have died and hundreds are missing after flash floods hit the Himalayan border areas of Nepal and Tibet. Many of the missing are overseas tourists, including at least 33 Britons and 34 Australians (by one early estimate).
Meta settles | Meta reached an agreement of up to US$18bn to settle a landmark case brought by states across the US that accused the tech giant of addicting and harming children with dangerous products, according to a court filing .
Dementia clue | Women using hormone replacement therapy are at lower risk of dementia, a new study suggests , with scientists finding those who had used HRT were 10% less likely to be diagnosed with the condition.
‘Escape wizard’ | Police in Spain have arrested a dangerous Albanian criminal nicknamed the “escape wizard” who has managed to break out of four jails in Italy and Belgium.
Tim Curry tributes | Tim Curry, the versatile performer of screen and stage, who made his name as the flamboyant Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, has died aged 80 . Our chief film critic pays tribute to Curry’s subversive blast of fun.
Decoding America: Could datacentres lose Trump the midterms?
Co-hosts Jonathan Yerushalmy and Reged Ahmad explore why datacentres in the US have provoked such anger – and whether that could harm Republicans in the midterms.
The millions of dollars being invested in datacentres does not impress Greg Jericho. He explains in his column why it’s unlikely to lift living standards for Australians, isn’t showing up as any meaningful construction industry boost, and could also provoke another rate rise. Meanwhile fears are rising that the Reserve Bank will hit millions of mortgage holders with a fourth rate hike this year due to stubbornly high inflation.
Does anyone need to spend $1,000 on a pillow? Thaslima Begum went in search of the perfect sleep and found that slumbering bliss comes at a price.
Tennis | On the eve of what she hopes will be a US Open challenge, Amanda Anisimova talks about learning to cope with the stresses of the tour and bouncing back.
Football | Uefa is poised to drop its threatened boycott of Fifa competitions after receiving guarantees that the global governing body will never attempt a repeat of Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. A winner of that tournament, Emiliano Martínez, could be leaving Aston Villa for Chelsea, and there’s Carabao Cup action in England this morning.
Cricket | Joe Root’s “robust conversation” with the England Test squad at Lord’s this week has finally ended any uncertainty about the conduct expected of them, according to fast bowler Josh Tongue.
The Australian claims that Labor will soon reveal its plans for immigration levels, with restrictions expected on international students and onshore visa applications. The WA government is appealing the landmark Yindjibarndi compensation ruling, WAtoday reports, seeking “clarity” on the $150m judgment. The Broncos star Reece Walsh faces sanction by the club after liking a post that criticised the coach, the Courier Mail reports.
Business | Wesfarmers, Star Entertainment Group and Qantas release full year results.
Sydney | Full federal court appeal hearing by retired judge Walter Sofronoff over finding of corrupt conduct in Bruce Lehrmann inquiry.
Darwin | Reforms to legalise voluntary assistant dying expected to be debated in the Northern Territory parliament.
If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here , or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter . You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland .
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
Residents in Tasmania are angry at the planning process around a datacentre, while our economics columnist wonders if it’s worth building them at all, and could they cost Donald Trump the midterms?
This report is published with credit to theguardian.com. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on theguardian.com →
Source: theguardian.com · Martin Farrer. Published 26 Aug 2026, 09:14 pm.
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