Good afternoon. Bruce Lehrmann is intending to sue the ACT government over alleged flaws in his prosecution over allegations he sexually assaulted Brittany Higgins.
The findings of an inquiry into the prosecution were published on Wednesday night by the Australian. The inquiry head, Walter Sofronoff, found there were serious flaws in the way the case was handled by Shane Drumgold SC, the ACT’s DPP.
The report also found there was enough evidence to charge Lehrmann and that the prosecution was properly brought. The inquiry was not tasked with investigating the sexual assault allegation, which Lehrmann has always strenuously denied.
Elsewhere, supporters of the no camp in the referendum on the voice to parliament have been accused of spreading “garbage”, and the cost-of-living crisis continues to pummel consumers.
Top news
Langton says voice supporters maliciously targeted | Prominent Indigenous academic Marcia Langton accused some no vote supporters of spreading “garbage”, personally targeting Indigenous supporters of the voice and “swarming social media with bots and AI lies”.
China agrees to scrap barley tariffs | China has agreed to scrap its 80% tariffs on Australian barley, a major win for Canberra’s push to ease trade barriers between the two countries.
RBA predicts weaker economy | As the cost of living continues to rise, the Reserve Bank is predicting the economic output per person will shrink in the second half of the year.
Ex-NSW minister’s staffer reported failure to disclose property | Tim Crakanthorp’s own chief of staff raised concerns with the premier about his failure to disclose “substantial” holdings in his family’s Newcastle property empire, which led to his sacking.
Traditional owners win pause in woodland clearing | Clearing at Lee Point/Binybara in Darwin will be paused until the end of March, in a win for traditional owners and members of the Darwin community.
Competition watchdog blocks ANZ takeover of Suncorp Bank | “Oligopoly” fears are behind the ACCC blocking ANZ’s $4.9bn takeover of Suncorp, as it stresses second-tier banks are important for competition.
Aussie horror film a surprise hit | Talk to Me, by brothers Danny and Michael Philippou, may be on its way to toppling Crocodile Dundee as the highest grossing Australian film in the US of all time after a blockbuster opening weekend.
AFP concedes it was incorrect to say Dutton received briefing on Bhojani foreign bribery matter | The Australian federal police has conceded it was incorrect when it told the Senate it had briefed the then home affairs minister Peter Dutton on a foreign bribery investigation in Nauru offshore contracts.
Alberta withdraws bid for 2030 Commonwealth Games | The province has withdrawn its bid to host the event due to the potential cost, while Canadian sports authorities also pointed to Victoria’s decision to pull out of the 2026 Games.
Review finds New Zealand must boost military spending | New Zealand needs to spend more on its military and strengthen ties with countries in the Indo-Pacific to help meet the challenges of great power rivalry and climate change, the government said.
South Korean president orders ‘unlimited’ cooled buses for World Scout Jamboree | Amid a worsening heatwave, the South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has ordered that “unlimited” air-conditioned buses and cold-water trucks be sent to a global Scouts event his country is hosting, after hundreds of teenage participants fell ill due to a heatwave.
What they said …
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“Winter is disappearing”
That’s according to Raúl Cordero, a climate expert from the University of Santiago, who was describing the situation in Chile and said climate change was ensuring heat records were broken more frequently, amid a “brutal” heatwave in South America.
In numbers
This year’s Women’s World Cup has been hailed as the most successful in history at its halfway point, with 9.4 million people watching on television and more than 1.7m tickets sold.
Before bed read
A Colorado city put a cap on new housing – and is now evidence of why that strategy doesn’t work in attempting to make cost of living more affordable.
It’s a fascinating read of the damage such policies can do, and on the mechanisms that could actually work.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: Limb. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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