ABC News Top Stories

Episoder

• 
  Commemorations mark three years since October 7 attacks | ABC News Top Stories 07.10.2026 1min

  Commemorations are taking place today in Australia and globally as Jewish people mark three years since the deadly Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.   US execution survivor Christa Pike is awake and speaking as she receives treatment at a hospital.  Doctors say patients who have failed to disclose the use of illegal peptides or weight loss jabs before surgery could face serious health consequences. For more news at any time you can follow the ABC News Top Stories podcast.
• 
  What Israelis say three years after October 7 07.10.2026 4min

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

  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 3min

  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 3min

  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 4min

  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 3min

  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 3min

  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 3min

  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 3min

  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 4min

  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 3min

  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.
• 
  What we know about the flydubai attempted hijacking 02.10.2026 3min

  We're getting a clearer picture about the terrifying incident that happened mid-air during a flight between Dubai and Tel Aviv.
• 
  What’s to gain from getting it right with data centres? 02.10.2026 4min

  Data centres are popping up everywhere as Australia rides the AI boom.  But they are causing controversy here and around the world, so experts say it is crucial Australia’s leaders negotiate hard with tech giants so Australia can benefit in the long run.
• 
  Why businesses are angry over the ATO ban on credit card payments 02.10.2026 3min

  The small business sector has slammed the ATO for giving only two months' notice of the change which they say could leave some owners struggling to pay their tax bills. 
• 
  How did US inmate Christa Pike survive two 'lethal' injections? 01.10.2026 3min

  Christa Pike, who has spent more than three decades on death row in Tennessee, survived two doses of what was supposed to be a lethal injection and was taken to hospital. A court-ordered pause was lifted by the US Supreme Court before the attempt, and the state's governor has halted executions for the rest of the year and ordered a review. So how can an attempted execution go so wrong? Be aware that this story includes disturbing details of a crime and how the death penalty is administered.
• 
  Is it time for an e-bike crackdown? 01.10.2026 3min

  The New South Wales government has crushed its first batch of illegal e-bikes into scrap metal under tough new confiscation laws. The 23 high-powered e-bikes were seized by police on Sydney's northern beaches, as more children are being injured on e-bikes and scooters. Laws vary widely across the country, so should e-bike rules be the same everywhere?
• 
  How much further could house prices fall? 01.10.2026 2min

  Australian house prices fell for a sixth straight month in September, and experts say the property market could experience falls of up to 15 per cent in the coming months off the back of higher interest rates and cuts to housing tax breaks. Cotality's Home Value Index fell 1.1 per cent in September taking cumulative declines to 5.2 per cent below March's peak. Editor's note: An earlier version of this story suggested the auction resulted in investors purchasing the property, the audio has been changed to reflect it was actually won by first home buyers.
• 
  What we know about the mid-air incident on a flight to Israel 01.10.2026 3min

  Investigations are continuing after a pilot on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv stabbed his co-pilot. The attacker allegedly tried to crash the aircraft before passengers and crew stormed the cockpit and intervened. Two off-duty pilots then stepped in and brought the plane in for an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
• 
  Why an NRL Grand Final means so much for Newcastle 01.10.2026 4min

  The NRL season is nearing its conclusion. The Sydney Roosters and the Newcastle Knights will battle it out in Sunday for a shot at glory. And while grand final appearances have been fairly common in recent years for the Roosters, it's been a long time between drinks for the Knights: a quarter of a century.