Radio National Breakfast

Scientists fear the deadly H5 strain of bird flu has reached one of Australia's sub-Antarctic islands after signs of the disease were seen in elephant seals on Heard Island.

Wildlife experts who travelled to the volcanic island in the Southern Ocean on the icebreaker RSV Nuyina have observed unusual levels of mortality in elephant seals in recent days.

Guest: Jonathan Webb, ABC Radio National Science Editor

The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, emerged from the White House unscathed after a meeting with U-S President Donald Trump this week.

A multimillion-dollar critical minerals deal promises opportunity for the regions, but the opposition says Labor's proposed environmental laws will throttle that potential.

"An otherworldly beauty" is how the global travel authority Lonely Planet has described South Australia's Ikara-Flinders Ranges - marking it the only place in Australia on its "must visit" list for 2026.

Tourism operators have hailed the recognition as a priceless economic boost, at a time when the state's tourism sector has been ravaged by the toxic algal bloom infecting the coast.

• GUEST: Zoe Bettison, South Australia Tourism Minister
• PRODUCER: Brooke Young

Planned changes to environmental protections face a difficult path through federal parliament — with the Greens calling the draft legislation "worse than the status quo".

• Guest: Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Senator from SA and spokesperson on communications and the environment.
• Producers: Isadora Bogle and Jason Whittaker

The Coalition says it is concerned by a new attempt by the government to overhaul Australia's environment laws, which the Environment Minister hopes to introduce before the end of the year.

Part of the draft laws for the proposed reform has been shared with environment and business groups this week. 

As parts of the country faced dangerously high temperatures this week, there was new concern that Australians may not be able to call emergency services when needed.

Telstra reported yesterday that some Samsung phones might not get through to triple-zero services.

• Guest: Kristy McBain, Minister for Emergency Management
• Producer: Isadora Bogle

Parts of regional Australia are expecting a financial boom from the critical minerals and rare earths deal signed with the US earlier this week.

But not everyone's happy - especially at the prospect of losing prime agricultural land.

• Guest: Ryan Milgate, Wimmera farmer and Grains President at the Victorian Farmers' Federation
• Producer: Joe Sullivan

Irish citizens are heading to the polls this evening to vote for their next president - but only if they're on home soil.

Those in Northern Ireland or abroad are ineligible to vote, a rule that has drawn criticism from the global Irish diaspora.

The presidential race is down to two - Catherine Connolly, a left-wing independent, and Heather Humphreys from the centre-right Fine Gael party.

• GUEST: Senator Conor Murphy, Sinn Féin leader in the Irish Senate
• PRODUCER: Brooke Young

It was a prayer for the history books.

King Charles met Pope Leo overnight at The Vatican, becoming the first British monarch and pontiff to pray together at a church service in at least five centuries.

• Guest: Colm Flynn, Vatican Correspondent for EWTN News
• Producers: Brooke Young, Grace Stranger

The US has imposed sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies as it calls on Moscow to agree to an immediate ceasefire in its war with Ukraine.

The announcement came a day after US President Donald Trump said a planned meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, would be postponed indefinitely.

• Guest: Dr Adi Imsirovic, Lecturer in Energy Systems at the University of Oxford and co-author of "Rivers of Money: Social and Economic History of Modern Oil Trading"
• Producer: Teodora Agarici