Australia news LIVE: Thirty-four Australians among hundreds missing after Nepal, Tibet floods; Plibersek sounds alarm on choking acts during sex after death of teen girl; Tributes for Tim Curry, Yayoi Kusama

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Today’s headlines

By Emily Kaine and Alexander Darling

Hello and welcome to our national news live blog for Thursday, August 27. Here’s a snapshot of the day so far:

• Thirty-four Australians are among hundreds missing after deadly flash floods hit Nepal and Tibet. Nepal police said 157 bodies have so far been recovered, while China has reported at least three people killed and 265 missing in Tibet. More than 400 tourists are unaccounted for, from Australia, India, the US, UK and Canada. Follow our live coverage of the Nepal floods here.
• The world continues to mourn the loss of beloved cultural figures. After the loss of Dolly Parton earlier this week, tributes are now flowing for beloved British actor Tim Curry and world-famous visual artist Yayoi Kusama.
• Russia is preparing to escalate attacks on Ukraine after concluding that negotiations for a peace deal have reached a dead end, according to three people close to the Kremlin. CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a rare visit to Moscow on Tuesday for talks with Russian counterparts, though it’s unclear what they focused on. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the trip’s purpose was to warn Russia not to attack NATO countries, citing unnamed people briefed on the visit.
• Meta has reached a $24 billion settlement to add child safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms, to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states in the US.