Good morning. Thomas Morgan here with your morning NewsMail. The "bomb cyclone" lashing New South Wales has led to flood rescues, blackouts and downed trees — we'll have the latest.

Plus, an overhaul of Victoria's Working with Children Check after a childcare worker's arrest, the US's long and complicated history with Iran, and why researchers want new dishwashers to be fitted with a special filter.

What's the story: Strong winds and heavy rains are expected to intensify along the New South Wales coast as the "bomb cyclone" makes its presence felt. Seven emergency warnings are in place, there have been thousands of calls for help and operators are reporting widespread power outages. Evacuate-now alerts have been issued for spots on the Central Coast.

Live coverage: Emergency warnings remain in place for multiple regions due to a continued risk of flash flooding, with some suburbs receiving upwards of 130 millimetres of rain in 24 hours. Almost 30,000 properties are without power due to fallen trees and downed lines. Stay with our live blog for complete coverage.

Felt far and wide: It is not just New South Wales — the complex weather system is also bringing strong wind gusts to the Sunshine State. The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of wind gusts above 90 kilometres an hour in some parts of Queensland today.

'Urgent changes': Victoria will overhaul its Working with Children Check laws, the ABC can reveal. State police yesterday revealed a childcare worker had been charged with more than 70 offences, including sexual assault and producing child abuse material. They say the alleged offender held a valid Working with Children Check.

Artificial intelligence is here and workplaces are already embracing the technology. Take Lismore-based legal firm Parker Kissane, which has used the technology to fast-track complex case summaries. But new research is warning those just starting their careers may not share in the benefits.

Political analysis: Just six Liberal women will sit in the lower house when parliament resumes next month. As the party sticks to a familiar post-election script, Annabel Crabb writes it is important to remember that the Liberals invented quotas for women . Plus, political reporter Claudia Long on why the shock rise of Zohran Mamdani in NYC is unlikely to be replicated here at home.

• At times friends, more recently foes and now, after Donald Trump's strikes, sworn enemies. As Iran and US intelligence try to determine the damage American bombs have dealt to Iran's nuclear program, we look back at how 13 US presidents have managed their country's relationship with Iran. 
• ABC Investigations: A Russian-backed fund with the public goal of defending the rights of expat Russians has been sanctioned by Australia. Several of Pravfond's top figures have ties to Russian intelligence , and the organisation has provided support for a pro-Kremlin propagandist now holed up in Sydney's Russian consulate.
• PLUS: Russia is denying claims it is deliberately trying to stall peace negotiations with the US and Ukraine. Vladimir Putin's forces have been making steady territorial gains in Ukraine in recent months.
• News Analysis: Benjamin Netanyahu has long been accused of prolonging the fighting in Gaza to distract from his own political complications domestically. But now he may have little choice but to make a deal, writes Middle East correspondent Eric Tlozek. 
• And this morning's ep of ABC News Daily looks at what role the US could play in a ceasefire deal