Morning everyone. Do the government’s hate speech laws risk turning Australia into a police state where expressing a view contrary to a “government orthodoxy” is outlawed? That’s what Christian lobby groups are saying today.
We’re also looking at astonishing figures on high pay among university bosses, we’ve got the Aria winners, plus Ukraine has fired UK-made long-range missiles into Russia for the first time.
Australia
Royel assent | Royel Otis and Troye Sivan were the big winners of this year’s Arias, with the indie band winning four awards including best group and best rock album, while the pop solo artist won album of the year for Something to Give Each Other.
‘Thought crime’ | The Australian Christian Lobby has claimed Labor’s hate speech laws would turn Australia into a “police state” by creating “thought crime” despite the fact the laws are directed towards threats of force or harm.
University challenge | Hundreds of university executives are raking in more money than state premiers, a new report reveals. In New South Wales, 89 executives in the sector earn more than Chris Minns’s $416,440 salary while in Victoria 62 make more than Jacinta Allan’s $481,190.
Future plan | Australia’s $230bn sovereign wealth fund will be retooled to help build houses, improve infrastructure and combat global heating under a new investment mandate, the Albanese government has announced.
Treaty talks | Victoria’s First Peoples’ Assembly will ask for decision-making powers over how Indigenous history is taught in schools, as part of nation-first treaty talks.
World
House vote | The House ethics committee is expected to meet to vote on releasing a report examining allegations of sexual misconduct against the former Republican representative Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the US justice department. Follow developments live. Trump’s lawyers have asked the judge overseeing his Manhattan hush-money criminal case for permission to make yet another play for dismissal.
Shadow war | Ukraine has fired UK-made Storm Shadow missiles into Russia for the first time since the beginning of the conflict, while the US has temporarily closed its embassy in Kyiv after receiving warning of a “potential significant air attack”.
Plastic waste | Oil and chemical companies who created an alliance to end plastic pollution have produced 1,000 times more new plastic in five years than the waste they diverted from the environment, according to data obtained by Greenpeace. Plus: the latest on Australia’s push to host a Cop summit.
Succession play | Lachlan Murdoch faced down a shareholder vote on Wednesday aimed at weakening his family’s control over their media empire.
Pop farewell | Members of One Direction and the X Factor judge Simon Cowell were among mourners at Liam Payne’s funeral in England.
Full Story
The Kyle and Jackie O Show: when are shock jocks too shocking?
Following on from our story yesterday, senior correspondent Sarah Martin and reporter Kate Lyons tell Nour Haydar how Australia’s highest-rating radio program gets around broadcast regulations. And in the second part of our special report on Kyle and Jackie O, we ask why they bombed in Melbourne. Is it because, for example, Sydney is just a bit crass?
In-depth
Trailed extensively in ad breaks and spruiked in the News Corp papers, a Sky News documentary this week purported to reveal “The Real Cost of Net Zero”. Presented by former ABC political editor Chris Uhlmann, the thrust of the show was that “weather-dependent electricity generation” had been found wanting and was pushing up prices for consumers. But do the claims stack up? In this week’s Temperature Check column, Graham Readfearn kicks the proverbial tyres.
Not the news
Since the end of 2023, the number of Australians shopping on the fast-fashion site Temu has grown by 32% while Shein has grown by 34%. But is it possible to assemble a decent outfit from their gear? Lucianne Tonti investigates.
Sport
World Cup 2026 | The Socceroos have managed to put themselves in a half-decent position to qualify directly for the tournament – but they cannot keep relying on other results going their way.
Cricket | India have had a topsy-turvey couple of years and have some unfamiliar faces as they look to win three Test series in a row down under.
The Spin | It is a decade since Phil Hughes died after being hit in the neck by a short ball at the SCG. Taha Hashim asks how much the game has changed since.
Media roundup
The Sydney Morning Herald says the city is 36 hours from shutdown with stalemate between the transport unions and government. An Australian woman was killed every four days in the first half of 2024, the Age says in a special report. The Herald Sun reviews the prospects of the top 60 AFL draft picks. As the cost of living bites, apartment prices are outperforming those of houses, according to the Canberra Times.
What’s happening today
Tasmania | Australian Antarctic research conference in Hobart.
Environment | Launch of report titled Unwrapped 2024: Plastic Use in Australian Supermarkets by the Australian Marine Conservation Society.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
