Good afternoon, everyone.
On this last day of parliament for the year, we’re dealing with the fallout from a marathon Senate sitting last night, where 31 pieces of legislation were passed. The House of Representatives returned on Friday morning (still technically “Thursday” in parliamentary terms) to approve 11 bills that required amendment, including the Future Made in Australia package and the social media ban on under-16s.
Anthony Albanese has denied the great rush means Labor is preparing for an early election. Instead, he was trumpeting the achievements of a government “getting things done”.
However, not everyone was so keen on what’s set to be one of the world’s toughest regulations targeting big tech. Meta is concerned about the “rushed” ban. The tech giant said the process had failed to “properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people”.
Top news
Life sentence for Queensland paedophile | The former childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith has been sentenced to life in prison for the “depraved” sexual abuse of 73 children under his care over almost 20 years. The 46-year-old will not be eligible for parole until 2049.
Bail rolls on for police officer who shot Clare Nowland with Taser | The family of a 95-year-old woman who died after being shot in a New South Wales nursing home with a Taser have sat they are “struggling to understand” why the police officer convicted of her manslaughter is allowed to remain on bail.
Emergency bushfire warnings in WA | Residents in a series of coastal communities threatened by a bushfire have been told it was too late to leave and they should find shelter as the fire burned through evacuation points.
Indigenous leader jailed | Geoff Clark, who stole almost $1m from Aboriginal organisations, has been jailed for more than six years. Three separate juries convicted Clark, 72, on 25 charges of theft, obtaining financial advantage by deception, perjury and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Elon Musk wants to ‘delete’ consumer finance watchdog | The tech billionaire tapped to be part of the incoming Trump administration said he wants to “delete” the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal watchdog that helps protect consumers from predatory financial practices.
Mexican president says no tariff war with US | Claudia Sheinbaum has said her “very kind” phone conversation with Donald Trump, in which they discussed immigration and fentanyl, means “there will not be a potential tariff war” between the US and Mexico.
Georgia protesters clash with police | Thousands took the streets of Tbilisi early on Friday after the country’s ruling party said the government would suspend talks on European Union accession until 2028.
Spain introduces ‘paid climate leave’ after deadly floods | The government has approved leave of up to four days to allow workers to avoid travelling during weather emergencies, a month after floods killed at least 224 people.
The New Zealand city that stinks | Locals in Lower Hutt are living with an invisible villain. It hovers thick and putrid, seeps through windows, taints laundry and is making people retch.
In pictures
A new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra shows more than 140 images by the Australian photographer Carol Jerrems, best known for her intimate portraits of friends, family and the 1970s arts scene.
What they said …
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“It’s an initiative that makes a lot of sense in Australia and one that we should bring here to save the next generation.”
One young Italian man’s response to Australia’s social media ban for under-16s.
In numbers
A record $6.7bn is expected to be spent on Black Friday sales until Monday, but some brands choosing to opt out over overconsumption concerns.
Before bed read
Confused about why you’re suddenly hearing about Wicked fans “holding space” for the song Defying Gravity? What does the term even mean? Kate McCusker breaks down the moment in the press tour that launched a thousand memes to find out if it’s self-help jargon or something more powerful.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: MUS. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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