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A 28-year-old woman who worked at a plague research institute in Siberia has died. The World Health Organization has asked Russia for more information about the death. Hear what a former White House pandemic expert says would worry him and what the WHO wants from Russia.

Firmus is a data centre operator backed by chip-making giant Nvidia and it has axed its plan to list on the Australian share market. The float had been billed as one of the biggest debuts in the history of the market, and it was a $44 billion float. So what went wrong?

UK police have admitted the warrants used to search Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's homes in February were unlawful, and the High Court has quashed them. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on 19 February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and has been investigated over his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A solicitor says the setback does not necessarily jeopardise the broader investigation, so what happens to the evidence police gathered?

New research shows a troubling number of young abuse victims in Australia are staying silent or turning to AI chatbots instead of a trusted adult. Australia's Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says it's a trend that highlights the limits of what police can do, and calls for a whole-of-community response. So what does the research actually show, and what can caregivers do to help?

Prominent fitness influencer and reality TV star Sam Wood has been denied bail on domestic violence charges and remanded in custody until 23 November. Queensland police allege Mr Wood assaulted his wife during a family argument in Noosa on Saturday 3 October. So what did the court hear from the prosecution and from Mr Wood's lawyer?

The Australian Taxation Office has announced it will stop accepting credit cards as payments from 1 December, in response to the Reserve Bank's reforms to ban surcharge fees on card payments. The ATO says absorbing the surcharge would effectively transfer the cost to all taxpayers, but the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry wants the decision reversed. So what does the change mean for small businesses that use credit cards to manage their cash flow?

There's some new data out that could sound like good news for renters: it shows that rents are flat lining in most capital cities. In fact, for the first time in two years, the price of rent in Sydney has even dropped! But rents aren't going up anymore because tenants are at breaking point after years of increases.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.

We're getting a clearer picture about the terrifying incident that happened mid-air during a flight between Dubai and Tel Aviv.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Inflation rose to 4 per cent in the year to August, slightly lower than many expected, and market odds of another rate rise in November have fallen to 20 per cent. Housing costs are up 5.7 per cent and transport is up 5.6 per cent over the year, while trimmed mean inflation, the measure the Reserve Bank watches most closely, is steady at 3.6 per cent. ANZ says a November hike is more likely than not and Westpac expects one unless energy costs fall, while the Commonwealth Bank expects a hold, so will the Reserve Bank raise rates again?

The leaders of some of the world's most powerful AI companies have signed a voluntary agreement to 'self-police' their technology, following mounting warnings about its risks. US President Donald Trump hosted the accord's signing at the White House, declaring it 'morally binding' rather than a matter for government regulation. OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Google, xAI and Nvidia have committed to internal risk reviews, external audits and board oversight of their AI systems, according to Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. The agreement comes amid a string of AI security incidents, including an OpenAI agent's unauthorised access to an Australian government Medicare portal. Is self-regulation enough to keep AI safe?

Manchester City has been found guilty of arranging 'sham' sponsorship contracts as part of financial breaches worth about $1.7 billion, in what's been described as the biggest scandal in Premier League history. An independent commission found the club guilty of more than 100 breaches of the league's financial rules, spanning a nine-year period from 2009. It's not yet clear what penalty the club will face, with points deductions, suspension or relegation all possible.

It was the worst ever breakdown of Israel's national security, when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack, killing more than 1,200 people, and taking over 200 hostage. Now, with only weeks to go until elections in Israel, and as the anniversary of the October 7 attacks looms, pressure is mounting on the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over what he knew and when in the lead up to the attacks. A stream of well-sourced, detailed stories has appeared, documenting alleged failures by the PM prior to October 7 to heed warnings of a possible Hamas strike.

The Reserve Bank has raised the cash rate to a 15-year high of 4.6 per cent, a move economists widely expected given persistent inflation and rising Middle East oil prices. Governor Michele Bullock says the rise had to happen to bring inflation down, and conceded a recession was possible if inflation expectations get away from the bank. Economist Cherelle Murphy from EY Oceania says the reasons behind high inflation are not easy to reverse, and further rate rises can't be ruled out.

The federal government is exploring whether to force tech companies to immediately report it when an artificial intelligence agent breaches a website, after OpenAI took months to reveal one of its agents had accessed a Medicare data portal. An OpenAI agent got into public and private files containing information about government health programs in June, but the company didn't tell Services Australia until September. Cybersecurity expert Vanessa Teague says mandatory reporting is a good start, but argues the public also deserves a clearer account from the government of what actually happened.

The arrest and subsequent release of five men in the UK over a suspected terror plot on an air force base has led to plenty of speculation... and confusion. They were detained after three vans were found close to the air base - which has been used by the US air force to attack Iran. But questions remain over the men and what information intelligence authorities relied on.

The Reserve Bank is widely tipped to raise the cash rate this afternoon to its highest level in almost 15 years. Economists say inflation remains stubbornly high, and with the continuation of elevated energy prices due to the war in the Middle East as well as A-I-related infrastructure demand, the central bank has little choice but to move.

Banks are cutting credit card rewards points, increasing fees and trimming travel insurance perks ahead of a ban on card surcharges. The Commonwealth Bank has wound up its Qantas Frequent Flyer partnership in favour of a new in-house program called Yello. So will Australians put up with smaller rewards, or start shopping around?

From Thursday, most Australians will have to pay for their COVID-19 vaccine, with one community pharmacist estimating it could cost people up to $150. Free vaccines will still be available to anyone 65 and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 and over, and people with immunocompromised conditions. So will Australians still bother getting the jab once it is no longer free?

OpenAI says it has notified dozens of organisations worldwide after autonomous AI agents bypassed security controls, days after revealing one of its agents had breached an Australian government Medicare data portal. The company has paused training and testing of some of its systems as it reviews their behaviour, while the Australian government says the incident strengthens the case for new AI guardrails. So is tough regulation of the AI industry now inevitable?

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.

Card surcharges are banned from Thursday, in one of the biggest shake-ups to Australia's payment system in years. The change is expected to save consumers around 1.6 billion dollars annually, but businesses and banks are already responding in ways that could affect what you pay and how. What does the ban actually cover, and what could it mean for prices, credit card rewards, and the way Australians pay?

Iran says diplomacy is the only way forward with the United States after US President Donald Trump rejected its latest deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Drivers, farmers and the transport industry can't help but notice the price of diesel at the moment. It's been rising again as the war in Iran shows no sign of stopping and now Donald Trump is considering cutting off US exports of diesel. But could it really hit four dollars a litre?

Australia wants a say on the biggest issues in the world as it pitches for a temporary seat on the UN Security Council. In a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the world must unite to tackle climate change, the rise of artificial intelligence and the breakdown of international rules. Despite the huge issues being discussed by Australia's Prime Minister, most attention at the United Nations was on Benjamin Netanyahu and his firey defence of Israel, in the face of global concern about Israel's actions in its war in Gaza.

It's Alaska's most-watched popularity contest: Fat Bear Week is back for its 12th year at Katmai National Park. Sixteen brown bears are competing and millions of people worldwide are voting online for their favourite after watching them on the park's live webcams. Mike Fitz, the former park ranger who started the tradition in 2014, says fatness isn't the only thing that matters - a bear's story counts too. So what does it actually take to become a Fat Bear Week champion?