Radio National Breakfast

Whether it's global warming or the aggressive crown-of-thorns starfish, the impacts have been devastating for the Great Barrier Reef.

But now, scientists believe supporting some species of fish along the reef is helping curb the crown-of-thorns starfish.

• Guest: Dr Scott Condie, Senior Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO Environment and lead author on the study 
• Producer: Tyler Hall

British playwright Sir Tom Stoppard has died at the age of 88.

His plays of dazzling wit and wild imagination conquered the West End, Broadway and beyond, from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead to The Real Thing,  Arcadia, and The Coast of Utopia.

Stoppard drew comparisons to Beckett, Shaw and even Shakespeare, with King Charles calling him "a dear friend who wore his genius lightly".

• Guest: Hermione Lee, British academic, literary critic, and author of the acclaimed 2021 biography Tom Stoppard: A Life
• Producers: Anne Barker and Jason Whittaker 

Venezuela has condemned US President Donald Trump's latest warning about its airspace, after Mr Trump posted online that the skies around the country should be treated as closed.

Tensions have escalated as the US steps up its military presence nearby, while also carrying out repeated strikes on boats it claims are tied to the drug trade. These attacks have now killed more than 80 people.

• Guest: Jon Bonfiglio, Latin America Correspondent for The Times 
• Producer: Anne Barker

Afghans who helped allied forces against the Taliban have been left in limbo, after the United States halted some immigration processing over the weekend.

According to a State Department cable seen by Reuters, US President Donald Trump's administration has ordered its diplomats worldwide to stop processing visas for Afghan nationals.

It comes after the shooting in Washington last week of two National Guard members, which left one dead. Authorities say the alleged shooter was an Afghan national.

• Guest: Shawn VanDiver, founder and president of AfghanEvac, an organisation that works to evacuate and resettle Afghans in the United States

A long-awaited overhaul of federal environment laws passed the Senate yesterday, after the government struck a deal with the Greens. 

We'll hear from the man who wrote the blueprint for the revamp of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. We'll also hear from the Environment Minister Murray Watt and the Greens environment spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young. 

Then, The Lebanese prime minister has criticised Hezbollah overnight for failing to disarm, saying that its refusal to do so is hurting his country.

It comes as Israel carried out more strikes in Lebanon this week, killing civilians; the United Naitons has now confirmed at least 127 deaths since last year's ceasefire.

And for the third consecutive season, North Melbourne and Brisbane will face off in the AFLW grand final - the Lions' seventh decider in the league's first 10 seasons.

Recap the morning's news, politics and global affairs with the Breakfast Wrap.

Authorities have confirmed more than eighty people have died in the blaze at the apartment complex in Tai Po.

There's fears the death toll could grow higher, with hundreds of people still missing.

Guest: Kelly Yu, freelance journalist

The government has worked with the Greens to make the final parliamentary sitting week of the year a fruitful one, getting a deal done on the EPBC reforms. 

And Barnaby Joyce's defection from the Nationals added pain to the coalition which loses another member to the crossbench.

For the third consecutive season, North Melbourne and Brisbane will face off in the AFLW grand final - the Lions' seventh decider in the league's first 10 seasons.

Brisbane is aiming to win their 4th flag and cement themselves as the powerhouse of the competition, but standing in their ware are the Kangaroos who haven't lost a game in two years. 

The federal government is celebrating the passage of its long-awaited environment laws overhaul in the Senate.Professor Graeme Samuel wrote the blueprint for the revamp of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, with an independent review five years ago and watched the reforms go through in the upper house. 

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says reforms to the nation's outdated environment protection laws are "a long time coming".

The Greens landed a deal with the government yesterday to pass overhauled environment laws through the Senate.

• Guest: Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson for Environment and Water
• Producer: Isadora Bogle