Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong has confirmed that the number of Australians reported missing in Nepal has increased to 39, according to the Guardian’s Australia news live coverage. The update follows flooding in the country, though further details on the circumstances of those missing were not provided in the reporting.

In response, Australia is sending $5m and three humanitarian workers to Nepal, the Guardian reported. The commitment reflects the federal government’s move to support relief efforts as the situation for Australians in the region remains uncertain.

In a separate development, voluntary assisted dying is now legal across all Australian jurisdictions. The rights of the terminally ill bill passed the Northern Territory parliament late in the evening on a conscience vote, according to Australian Associated Press, making the NT the final jurisdiction to adopt such laws.

The Northern Territory bill passed following debate over a gag clause that bars doctors from raising end-of-life options with patients. According to AAP, the gag remained intact when the bill was passed.

Elsewhere, New South Wales has begun a vaccination program for vulnerable bird species to protect them against H5 bird flu. The program is being rolled out at Taronga Zoo, with officials noting that while no government can stop the virus from spreading, vaccination is part of efforts to protect some of Australia’s most beloved native birds.