Live: Four Australians confirmed safe in Nepal-Tibet flood disaster

live Federal politics live: Four Australians confirmed safe in Nepal-Tibet flood disaster Four Australians have been confirmed safe after the Nepal-Tibet flood, with the number of unaccounted-for Australians revised down to 38. Follow all the updates in our live blog. Submit a comment or question Live updates New: Filters Choose what information you see below by using filters Australia to spend $600m on scheme to tackle drug smuggling in Pacific The federal government is expected to tip $600 million into a new Pacific scheme designed to tackle the surge of drug smuggling into the region, including into Australia. It comes as leaders grapple with increasingly sophisticated and determined criminal cartels trafficking cocaine and methamphetamines into the country. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to announce the investment at the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau today, as leaders prepare to endorse the "Waqa Moana" initiative aimed at bolstering surveillance of the vast Pacific Ocean, helping authorities to intercept smuggling vessels and so-called narco subs. The new funding package -- which will be spread over several years -- will see Australia spend more on aerial surveillance across the Pacific, as well as additional training and support for police in the region. The new plan is also designed to help police across the Pacific region improve coordination to tackle the trade, while also bolstering Australian Federal Police cooperation with South and Central American countries in an attempt to target the source of the illegal drugs. Read more at the link below. AI boom's demand for skilled workers could hit housing pipeline There are not enough workers to build both the houses and data centres in Australia's pipeline, with new data showing the artificial intelligence boom will exacerbate this shortfall. The Powering Skills Organisation (PSO), a government-established jobs and skills commission, has warned that already-high competition for workers has been accelerated. The report, released on Wednesday, estimates Australia needs an additional 72,000 electricians, technicians and related tradespeople by 2030 to meet projected demand. Last year, the same report forecast a 42,000 energy worker shortage. A key driver of the increased gap is the rapid growth in construction of data centres, expected to be worth about $150 billion by the end of the decade, according to Treasury. PSO chief executive Anthea Middleton said the government commitment to build data centres is now competing with other aims, such as the Housing Accord target to build 1.2 million homes and the nation's renewables transition. Read more at the link below. Key Event Four Australians confirmed safe in Nepal-Tibet flood disaster Four more Australians have been confirmed safe in the Nepal-Tibet flood disaster. Thirty-eight Australians remain unaccounted-for, with five citizens now located safe since yesterday morning. The ABC understands those confirmed safe today had not had contact with families and next of kin since the disaster struck, and their welfare could not initially be confirmed. A Royal Australian Air Force plane deployed yesterday with humanitarian and disaster relief supplies is due to arrive in Nepal at 10.00 local time today. Good morning 👋 Hello! Welcome to our politics live blog. I'm Courtney Gould from the ABC's Parliament House team, here to guide you through the day. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remains in Palau for another day of the Pacific Islands Forum, where he'll announce a $600m package on scheme to tackle drug smuggling in Pacific. Let's dive into the day. Loading