Welcome, readers, to the Afternoon Update.
The Albanese government announced major reforms to the aged care sector today, met by the rare sound of bipartisan support.
The reforms represent the greatest improvement in aged care in 30 years and includes $5.6bn invested into areas such as the support at home program to launch in July 2025, along with changes to improve the quality of residential aged care and new laws to protect older Australians in aged care.
Major voices in aged care welcomed the funding deal struck between the government and opposition and called for the changes to be passed quickly through parliament.
“Reforms like this don’t happen every day,” Anthony Albanese said.
“They are once in a generation and this is very significant. I do want to thank the opposition for their constructive engagement in this process.”
The aged care minister, Anika Wells, heralded “a new age of the Aged Care Act that will modernise the aged care system”.
Top news
Anti-war protests continue in Melbourne | Victorian police were patting down anti-war protesters and checking bags in Melbourne as they prepared for the potential for further confrontations on Thursday, a day after violent clashes on Melbourne’s streets.
Australians urged to get whooping cough vaccination | The latest national data shows more than 26,700 cases have been reported so far in 2024, compared with 2,451 cases for all of 2023. Typically there are epidemics of whooping cough in Australia every three to four years.
Father of boys found dead in Blue Mountains says loss has caused ‘unimaginable pain’ | The bodies of brothers Russell and Ben Smith were discovered inside a Faulconbridge home on Tuesday by their father, Nick Smith. New South Wales police said the investigation was ongoing.
Six Unrwa workers among estimated 14 killed in Israeli strike on Gaza school | The UN Palestinian refugee agency said the attack was the highest death toll among its staff in a single incident. Two airstrikes hit a school being used as a shelter for displaced Palestinians.
Wife of California prisoner wins US$5.6m after ‘egregious’ prison strip-search | After traveling four hours to see her husband at a correctional facility, Christina Cardenas was subjected to a strip-search, drug and pregnancy tests, X-ray and CT scans at a hospital, and another strip-search by a male doctor who sexually violated her, a lawsuit said.
Russia begins significant counter-offensive in Kursk region | Russian forces were said to have taken several villages on the west of the sliver of Russia that Ukraine has carved out. There was no independent confirmation or immediate comment from Ukraine.
Stolen portrait of Winston Churchill discovered | A famed portrait of a scowling Winston Churchill that was stolen from an Ottawa hotel has been found in Italy and the thief nabbed, police have said, two years after hotel staff noticed it had been replaced with a forgery.
Cowboys ride into NRL spotlight with Queensland on their backs | They are the NRL’s likeable entertainers, plying their trade away from the spotlight on the country’s northern fringe. But on the eve of the finals, the North Queensland Cowboys have become something more.
Nine CEO quits after months of pressure | Mike Sneesby will step down within weeks after a tumultuous year for the company, during which allegations of predatory behaviour and bullying in newsrooms were aired.
In pictures
MTV VMAs 2024: Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Megan Thee Stallion and more
On this year’s Video Music Awards black carpet, pop’s biggest stars opted for lace, 90s glamour and the barely there.
What they said …
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“If the local park is unsafe with predators lurking, we don’t keep kids indoors. We clean up the park & make it safe to play in.” – Prof Patrick McGorry
McGorry, who helped establish Headspace, has expressed his concern with the government’s proposed social media ban for children, suggesting that the onus be placed on tech companies instead.
In numbers
The viewership places the debate roughly between the series finales of Seinfeld (76.3 million) and Friends (52.5 million).
Before bed read
‘Don’t eat up the claim, peddled by the Coalition and conservative media, that greenies are “coming for your steak”’
The Climate Change Authority’s report didn’t even contain a recommendations section, let alone a command to eat less red meat, writes Graham Readfearn.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: VALI. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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