ABC News Top Stories

Rent growth stalls as stretched tenants reach limits | ABC News Top Stories 08.10.2026 1мин

Rent growth has stalled as tenants reach the limits of what they can afford, across Australia. Mining industry leaders are weighing the cost of a landmark High Court ruling they say will put investment at risk. The decision means planners must consider the impact of emissions caused by burning fossil fuels when approving coal mines. Australia’s former ambassador to the US, Joe Hockey, thinks if the Democrats retake the house it’ll help scrutinise corruption creeping into government processes. For more news at any time you can follow the ABC News Top Stories podcast.

How consequential is the High Court ruling on Australian coal mining? 08.10.2026 3мин

The High Court has found planning authorities must factor in the emissions from fossil fuels burned overseas when approving projects, such as mines. The judgement centres on a New South Wales mine expansion. While environmental groups are hailing the case as a win, law experts are sceptical it will set a broader legal precedent across the country.

Genetic testing legal protections begin. What's changing? 08.10.2026 2мин

Life insurance companies are now legally banned from using genetic test results to deny people cover or charge them more. It ends a long and anxious wait for some Australians, who've been delaying the tests out of fear for their insurance.

The mystery illness at a Russian plague laboratory explained 07.10.2026 3мин

A mystery illness linked to a plague laboratory in Russia is being watched around the world, after a 28-year-old woman died on October 2. Russian authorities say they have traced her contacts and the situation is stable. So what do we know and is there any reason to be alarmed about pneumonic plague?

Christa Pike is speaking, can she be put to death again? 07.10.2026 3мин

Lawyers for US death row inmate Christa Pike say she is awake and speaking six days after Tennessee's attempt to execute her by lethal injection failed. Tennessee's governor has halted executions for the rest of the year and ordered a review, and the state's prison chief is resigning. A legal expert says Pike may satisfy the legal test for cruel and unusual punishment, and her attorneys will ask the governor to commute her sentence to life in prison without parole.

What the Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery merger means for Hollywood 07.10.2026 3мин

Paramount Pictures has bought Warner Bros Discovery in a mega-merger that has created Skydance, one of the biggest media empires in the world. Skydance will control HBO, DC Comics, New Line Cinema, CBS, CNN and Channel 10 in Australia, and will be led by David Ellison, son of tech billionaire and Trump ally Larry Ellison. Entertainment journalist Kim Masters says large layoffs are widely expected, and a Deakin University professor says the merger could undermine American democracy.

Why are French high school students protesting? 07.10.2026 3мин

Tens of thousands of high school students have been protesting across France against under staffing and dilapidated classrooms. The demonstrations have turned violent at times , with police firing tear gas and protesters lighting fires in the streets and hurling projectiles. So what's happening in France?

What Israelis say three years after October 7 07.10.2026 4мин

Three years on from Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Israelis are pausing to remember the day that changed their country and set off a chain of events that has reshaped the region. About 1,200 people were killed and hundreds were taken hostage, and the war in Gaza that followed continues, with more than 74,000 Palestinians killed according to local health authorities. With an election three weeks away, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opponents are promising a national, independent inquiry into what happened, something he has refused.

What's with all the moths in Australia's south-east? 07.10.2026 3мин

After a devastating population crash around 2017, the endangered Bogong moth appears to be making a remarkable comeback. Researchers have a few theories about what's behind the explosion in numbers this year, from good rainfall to unusual wind patterns. The moths are a crucial part of the alpine ecosystem, but there's still a lot scientists don't fully understand about them and their extraordinary journey.

What the Coalition's immigration plan means for students and bridging visas 06.10.2026 3мин

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has announced the Coalition's migration policy, which he says is the biggest cut to immigration in the history of the country. Under the plan, net overseas migration would fall to 100,000 a year for the first two years, rising to 160,000 by year four, compared with Labor's target of 225,000 a year by mid-2028. How does it compare to One Nation's plan and who is being targeted for cuts?

How Jeffrey Archer went from young MP to bankrupt to bestselling novelist 06.10.2026 3мин

British author and former MP Jeffrey Archer has died at home aged 86, on the eve of the release of his final novel, Adam and Eve. He became an MP at 29, was bankrupted, turned to writing novels, and was jailed for perjury in 2001 over his 1987 libel case against the Daily Star. So how will Jeffrey Archer be remembered?

Why Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is taking police to court 06.10.2026 3мин

The former Prince Andrew has launched legal action against police in the UK who arrested him earlier this year. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has filed a claim with the High Court in London against Thames Valley Police over search warrants in February. The younger brother of King Charles is already at the centre of one of Britain's biggest royal scandals, but this legal battle is not about proving his innocence.

Cockpit doors keep threats out, but what if the threat is within? 05.10.2026 4мин

A flydubai pilot has been accused of attacking his colleague in the cockpit in an alleged attempt to seize control of the plane and crash it. With reports the alleged attacker had been grounded at another airline over security concerns, should there be more information sharing between airlines? The cockpit doors, strengthened after September 11, also complicate matters, as they can keep rescuers out as well as potential hijackers. So what can airlines and regulators do about the risk of a radicalised or mentally unwell pilot?

Could Democrats take control of US Congress next month? 05.10.2026 3мин

Midterm elections in the Untied States are just weeks away, and Republicans are facing real pressure to hold onto their narrow majorities in both houses of Congress. Polls suggest Donald Trump's economic policies have hit voters hard, and Democrats are eyeing seats across the country, including in states they haven't won in decades. With redrawn voting maps, a fresh wave of progressive candidates, and Donald Trump making some eyebrow-raising promises, there's a lot at stake before polling day on November 3.

What we know about the flydubai pilot and his Australian links 05.10.2026 3мин

A clearer picture is emerging about the attempted FlyDubai plane hijacking and the man allegedly behind it. And while Omani national, 29 year old Hammam al-Hammami's exact motive for attacking his co-pilot with an axe and trying to crash the plane is unclea, authorities and experts believe he harboured extremist views.

How Newcastle united amid elation and heartbreak 04.10.2026 3мин

On the eve of the decider, a crash involving fans transformed the mood from excitement to heartbreak, leaving a Newcastle's community struggling to balance its grand final hopes with concern for those injured.

Which insect wins your vote for Australian Insect of the Year? 02.10.2026 3мин

Two butterflies, two beetles, a glow-worm and a fly with eyes on stalks are the finalists for the 2026 ABC Australian Insect of the Year. Poll coordinator Gavin McGrath says the vote is about drawing attention to insects and conservation, and entomologist Ken Walker says only 30 per cent of Australia's insects have been named. So which insect will win the national vote, which runs until the end of October?

Why death row inmate Christa Pike didn't die after two shots of a lethal drug 02.10.2026 4мин

Tennessee officials were unable to put murderer Christa Pike to death after two doses of pentobarbital, and her lawyers say she is in a critical condition. Pike was 18 when she tortured and killed schoolmate Colleen Slemmer in 1995, and her clemency plea citing childhood trauma was rejected. But why was Christa Pike still breathing after being given the supposedly lethal injections? A medical expert says her veins fell apart and the drug burned her arm. What happens next?

Former minister revealed as co-founder of offshore casino 02.10.2026 3мин

A German activist has released documents from inside a Caribbean gambling regulator. The leak revealed De-Anne Kelly's past involvement with LuckyBet casino. Ms Kelly had argued in support of the Interactive Gambling Act decades before LuckyBet was warned about allegedly contravening it.