Nepali Australians say they're struggling to come to terms with news of devastating flash flooding in the Himalayan border region.

Search efforts continue as thousands are still missing following a devastating flash flood in Nepal and Tibet.

At least 39 Australians are among those reported missing, Foreign Minister Penny Wong says.

Australia has pledged five million dollars in aid as the death toll from catastrophic flooding on the Nepal-Tibet border rises to at least 390, with 39 Australians still missing.

A Senate inquiry into Australia's illicit tobacco market is due to deliver recommendations aimed at tackling the black market, despite the federal government rejecting calls to reduce tobacco excise.

BHP is expanding automation at a major Pilbara iron ore mine, introducing self-driving trucks as it continues to transition workers through the changes.

For more news at any time you can follow the ABC News Top Stories podcast.

The Victorian Government is proposing Australia's first laws guaranteeing some workers the right to work from home two days a week, despite warnings from business groups that the legislation will drive investment out of the state. 

More than 390 people have died and hundreds remain missing, including 35 Australians, after catastrophic flooding and landslides on the Nepal-Tibet border.

The federal government says Australia's refugee intake will remain unchanged despite indications earlier this week that humanitarian places could be reduced.

Queensland's CFMEU inquiry has heard fresh allegations of intimidation, including claims union figures followed the children of a former transport executive.

For more news at any time you can follow the ABC News Top Stories podcast.

Listen to the latest updates from ABC News

Listen to the latest updates from ABC News

Nepal's Tourism Board says the number of Australians missing after a catastrophic flooding and mudslide has risen to 35. Almost 1,500 people are missing across the Nepal-Tibet border region, while at least 168 people are known to have died.

Among the Australians missing are a couple from Western Sydney who were on a tour with hiking company Himalayan Glacier. The family of a Queensland pilgrim Kanagamah Sundrasan says she was due to be in the affected area and haven't heard from her since Tuesday. Two boys, aged 11 and 14, are also among the group of Aussies missing.

And the Prime Minister has guaranteed Labor will maintain Australia's refugee intake at its current level after his own minister earlier said it would be falling by a third next year. 

Press the 'Follow' or '+' button on this show page to add us to your playlist, so you never miss an episode.

For more news, politics and current affairs podcasts go to ABC listen.

A New South Wales couple from western Sydney is among the 34 Australians missing after flash floods devastated the border region of Nepal and Tibet. They were taking part in a tour with US-based hiking company Himalayan Glacier when the disaster struck. 52-year-old Venkatraman Balakrishnan and his 46-year-old wife Chitra Venkatraman's son says he last spoke to his parents when they were approximately 15 kilometres from the Tibet border and hasn't heard from them since.

Authorities say more than 160 people have died and more than 1,500 are missing, including tourists from India, the US, and the UK. The US Geological Survey has confirmed that what it initially reported as an earthquake was instead a glacial collapse that caused subsequent catastrophic impacts downstream. 

And the AFL has fined the Geelong Football Club $140,000 following an independent review into a secret concussion waiver involving player Jake Kolodjashnij. 

Press the 'Follow' or '+' button on this show page to add us to your playlist, so you never miss an episode.

For more news, politics and current affairs podcasts go to ABC listen.

What exactly caused the Himalayas catastrophe is still being investigated but scientists say the flash flood was likely caused by a landslide, triggered by the weight of a melting glacier.

They're also warning of the risk of a second flood in the region caused by debris washed into river systems.