Good morning, this is Eleanor Ainge Roy bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Monday 25 September. Top stories Angela Merkel has secured a fourth term as German chancellor but with her authority diminished, after her conservative party failed to halt the march of rightwing populists. Merkel's centre-right Christian Democrat-led alliance secured about 33.5% of the vote, 12.5 points ahead of her main rivals, Martin Schulz's centre-left Social Democrats, who according to initial results won 21%, a historical low for Germany's oldest party. The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) was celebrating its historic third-place success, having secured 13% of the vote, marking the first time in almost six decades that an openly nationalist party will enter the Bundestag. A somewhat subdued Merkel conceded the result "was not as good as we had expected" and promised to listen to the "concerns and anxieties" of AfD voters. With the SPD ruling out a return to the previous "grand coalition", and deals with the AfD out of the question, the electoral maths mean Merkel may need to stitch together an unlikely alliance with the pro-business Free Democrats and the Greens. AfD leaders have vowed to hound Merkel, but columnist Cas Mudde strikes a note of caution, saying the party's support is shallow, and it may struggle to maintain cohesion with such a large number of MPs. Australia will fail to meet its Paris climate agreement commitments unless it increases its use of renewables, a report from the Australia Institute has found. It says Australia could either transition to a 66-75% renewable energy target by 2030 or push the responsibility on to other sectors, such as agriculture or manufacturing. However, the report says the easiest way to meet the commitments is to reform the energy sector, as the government has "available and cost-effective options" in the form of renewables. The prospect of King Charles has given hope to Australian republicans, with polling showing not even the British are enthused by the heir apparent. Polling by FTI Consulting of 2,531 UK citizens on behalf of the Australian movement found more than half of respondents believed the Queen best embodied the spirit of the UK, but just 39% trusted Prince Charles and only 37% wanted him to replace his mother. Australian Republic Movement chief Michael Cooney said the message was clear – a King Charles was "unpopular and untrusted, even at home". Bill Shorten has called for "cool, sober heads" to handle the escalating North Korea nuclear crisis, after US president Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un traded verbal insults and threats over the weekend. In South Korea for a whirlwind trip to reassure Australia's allies of its bipartisan commitment to the region, Shorten said China and Russia should use their "considerable" superpower influence to bring North Korea into line. The Labor MP Jim Chalmers has ridiculed the push to introduce a universal basic income, saying it would be a "backward step" for workers that could increase inequality and cost the budget billions. In a new book, co-written with Mike Quigley, the former chief executive of NBN Co, on technological change, the Labor MP criticises the American futurist Martin Ford and the US tech entrepreneur Elon Musk for promoting the concept, describing it as "simplistic and defeatist". Labor has faced internal and external calls to adopt universal basic income but the shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, has previously described the concept as "very much the wrong answer". Sport Hardik Pandya and India have powered past Australia to clinch the five-match ODI series. India won by five wickets in Indore to go 3-0 up, comfortably overhauling Australia's 293-6 after skipper Steve Smith dropped Pandya. Australia had looked on course for a huge total after winning the toss and batting, but they stumbled after Aaron Finch was dismissed for 124 off 125 balls. It was Australia's 10th defeat in their past 11 ODIs away from home. Excitement is building for grand final week in the AFL and NRL, with Richmond facing Adelaide and North Queensland taking on the Storm. Jack Riewoldt did not enjoy the best of games as Richmond stamped their ticket to the AFL grand final with victory over GWS, but the forward's unselfish evolution and his dedication to the club will be rewarded on Saturday, writes Craig Little. In the NRL, the Cowboys know they will at least give a good account of themselves; at best they can go all the way, writes Matt Cleary. Thinking time The flu can be a case of mild misery, bed rest and plenty of fluids – or a matter of life and death. We need to get better at telling the difference if we want to avoid a repeat of this year's deadly season, says Dr Peter Collignon. The record number of cases expected to be confirmed, including 72 deaths, has sparked talk of compulsory vaccinations for some groups. But influenza is a tricky beast, and infectious diseases experts warn that vaccination is only about 40% effective. They say the key is identifying those at risk of death and getting them antibiotics early. Fur has long drawn the admiration of fashionistas and the scorn of animal rights campaigners – is wool about to go the same way? The animal rights group Peta is becoming increasingly active about the fleecy fibre, with celebrities such as Alicia Silverstone and Joaquin Phoenix joining campaigns to ban it. The president of Peta, Ingrid Newkirk, says cracking down on wool exports could be Peta's next big frontier. Secret footage gathered by Peta in Victoria last year helped to bring about the first convictions of sheep shearers in Australia for cruelty. Welcome to the Big Anxiety festival, which has the ambitious aim of not only getting people to talking about their mental health but also alleviating some of the associated pain. "There's a lot of evidence that art has a lot of impact when it comes to mental health. It's not just a diversion," says festival organiser Prof Jill Bennett from the University of New South Wales. Brigid Delaney delves into the festival's innovative offerings, including art installations designed to sooth worried minds and Awkward Conversations – "very bespoke one-on-one, relaxed conversations about mental health". What's he done now? | 
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Angela Merkel speaks after her election victory. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters 
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