Good afternoon. Allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan could be heard at the international criminal court, after independent senator Jacqui Lambie told the Senate she had asked it to investigate senior Australian defence force commanders.
In the Senate Lambie accused the current and previous governments, as well as the “highest levels of the ADF”, of covering up what military leadership knew of alleged war crimes, and throwing soldiers “under the bus”.
“It’s the ultimate boys’ club,” she said of the upper echelons of the defence force.
In other news, it’s a race against time as a massive search continues for a missing submersible in the Atlantic Ocean.
Top news
RBA meeting minutes | The Reserve Bank’s decision to raise the cash rate this month was “finely balanced”, with inflation concerns proving too persistent. The central bank acknowledged that among the reasons for such stickiness was that “some firms were indexing their prices, implicitly or directly, to past inflation”. See economist Greg Jericho’s analysis after the rate rise earlier this month. And this video on corporate profits.
Another government defeat | The Albanese government’s proposed nature repair market – which Tanya Plibersek once said could create a “green Wall Street” – is in trouble after the Coalition backflipped and opposed it, and the Greens labelled the draft legislation “irreparable”. It is Labor’s second election promise to be sunk in parliament this week, following yesterday’s unsuccessful bid to pass its housing fund bill.
Climate protests in Brisbane, Melbourne | Climate activists have launched a second day of nationwide protests. Campaigners warned the public to brace for rolling protests across Australia. Traffic in Brisbane was disrupted by Blockade Australia, which also launched a simultaneous protest in Melbourne, blocking Webb Dock Road in front of the Port of Melbourne gates (pictured).
Renewables transition ‘not fast enough’ | There are too few investments in wind and solar farms, according to Daniel Westerman, the head of the Australian Energy Market Operator, which he argues might leave the grid vulnerable to the sudden exit of coal-fired power stations.
Cannabis push in three states | Legalise Cannabis MPs have launched a coordinated push to make marijuana legal for personal use in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia, and overhaul what the party says is outdated legislation that unnecessarily criminalises people. The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, poured cold water on the attempt, however, saying that “my position is the law as it stands now”.
Higgins’ texts leak ‘regrettable’ | The leaking of Brittany Higgins’ text messages is likely “not legal” and has resulted in “regrettable” coverage that may deter victims of sexual assault from coming forward, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has warned.
Hunt on for Titanic submersible | US and Canadian ships and planes have swarmed an area about 1,450km east of Boston, some dropping sonar buoys that can monitor to a depth of almost 4,000m, in a desperate bid to find the missing sub with five onboard. Contact with the vessel was lost early Monday morning AEST. It has the capacity to be submerged for 96 hours. It remains unclear whether it is still underwater or has surfaced and is unable to communicate. Here are some likely scenarios of what happened.
Macron beer row | The French president has been accused of irresponsibility and toxic masculinity after downing a bottle of beer in 17 seconds in a rugby club dressing room.
Maroons’ edge over NSW revealed | Data shows the extent of Queensland’s command over the Blues in tight matches. Game two of the State of Origin is likely to come down to a razor-thin margin and the Maroons’ ability to clinch matches is key to their dominance. Read this data-driven preview.
New Zealand-Qatar friendly abandoned | New Zealand’s national men’s football team allege defender Michael Boxall was subject to racist abuse by a Qatari player. The All Whites took the extraordinary step of refusing to come back out after half-time in a game they led 1-0.
Full Story
Can Parliament House’s culture change?
Political reporter Amy Remeikis discusses women’s safety in Parliament House after allegations of sexual misconduct were raised against Victorian senator David Van last week, which he denied. Listen to this 22-minute episode.
What they said …
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“There’s a law now that, if you visit a doctor in Florida, they can refuse to treat you if you’re gay, which I find just unbelievable. We seem to be going backwards. And that spreads. It’s like a virus that the LGBTQ+ movement is suffering.” – Elton John
The singer (pictured) has declared he will no longer do residencies in the US, describing recent changes in law targeting LGBTQ+ people as “disgraceful”.
In numbers
And in Sydney, this chilly morning felt like 0.5C and Melbourne 3C.
Before bed read
What happened to the ancient Britons who built Stonehenge and then vanished? New clues from an ancient plague are pushing a rethink on their origins.
“Where Britons are really from is a complicated story,” Jonathan Kennedy writes. “The oldest complete human skeleton found in the British Isles belongs to 10,000-year-old Cheddar Man. When scientists extracted and analysed his DNA a few years ago, they realised that he wasn’t your stereotypical fair-haired, pale-skinned ‘English rose’. Cheddar Man had dark brown skin, black hair and blue-green eyes. He wasn’t an anomaly: this is how the first Britons looked.”
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: DUCT. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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