Good morning. A newly discovered letter sheds fresh light on the NSW trade jobs story. And the daughter of a close Putin ally, Alexander Dugin, has been killed by a car bomb in Moscow.
The outgoing head of the NSW state business chamber Stephen Cartwright personally thanked John Barilaro for his “accessibility” and asked to be considered for future roles, a letter between the pair reveals. Cartwright was later appointed to a senior trade commissioner job in London, a role that has come under intense scrutiny after an inquiry heard he had applied “late” after the former deputy premier suggested he put his name forward.
The daughter of an ultranationalist Russian ideologue and ally of Vladimir Putin has been killed in a car bomb on the outskirts of Moscow. Darya Dugina, whose father is the political commentator Alexander Dugin, died when the Toyota Land Cruiser she was driving was ripped apart by a powerful explosion about 20km west of the capital. Prominent hawks quickly blamed Kyiv for the attack without evidence, calling it an assassination attempt and demanding the Kremlin respond by targeting officials in Kyiv. If the car bombing is tied to the war it would mark the first time since February that the violence unleashed on Ukraine has reached the Russian capital.
Commercial television stations have all but abandoned locally made children’s programs after the Morrison government effectively abolished quotas. Seven screened just 6.5 hours of children’s television last year, Nine screened 47 and Ten 40, a report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority reveals. It’s prompted fresh calls for new content rules.
Australia’s migration rebound since reopening its borders is being slowed by an almost equal flow of Australians holidaying or moving overseas for work. That is one finding of a Deloitte Access Economics employment forecast, which adds to calls ahead of the jobs and skills summit to improve pathways to permanency for skilled migrants. The Deloitte report says those record job vacancies could be a “great opportunity” to expand the humanitarian visa program.
Australia
The NSW government will plant kelp forests and install hundreds of living sea walls across Sydney Harbour in the hope that that the $9.1m project will encourage the return of marine life.
The first locally acquired cases of monkeypox have been detected in NSW, placing health authorities on alert amid a global vaccine shortage. The state recorded three additional cases of monkeypox yesterday, bringing the total caseload to 42.
Developers behind hit video game Cult of the Lamb say Australia’s success in the field is fostered by having smaller, independent teams.
The world
A day before the first flight for Palestinians from southern Israel’s Ramon airport was scheduled to depart, it remained unclear whether the controversial plan would get off the ground.
Singapore will repeal a colonial-era law that criminalises sex between men, a landmark decision described by LGBTQ+ groups as “a win for humanity”.
Maritime authorities are considering stricter controls on the ocean transport of billions of plastic pellets known as nurdles after a series of spillages around the world. The multicoloured pellets are used as building blocks for plastic products.
The former top Republican Liz Cheney, who lost her Wyoming seat in Congress last week when she was beaten in a primary by a Donald Trump-endorsed challenger, is threatening to turn her political muscle against other prominent politicians in her party who have embraced the former president’s attack on democracy.
The UK foreign secretary, Liz Truss, has been urged to intervene in the “outrageous” case of a Leeds University student jailed in Saudi Arabia for 34 years over her use of Twitter. Hilary Benn, Labour MP for Leeds Central, said the UK had a “duty” to press for the release of Salma al-Shehab, a Saudi national who had been living in Britain.
Recommended reads
Resurrecting the Tasmanian tiger may be a noble idea – but what about preserving existing species?
A new exhibition by Rae Begley reflects on Earth as a living organism. The exhibition showing at the Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf in Sydney’s eastern suburbs includes work from the Indigenous community of Coyo in Chile’s Atacama desert.
Oh noooooo,” said Tilda Swinton in a low, dolorous tone, eyes cast to the ground, as she was handed the Oscar for best supporting actress in February 2008. Those aren’t the words with which stars typically begin an acceptance speech on Tinseltown’s shiniest night – and sure enough, hers rallied from that muted beginning, via quirky, crowd-pleasing quips, and closed with an exhilarated, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” But for a brief second, the then 47-year-old British actor seemed almost apologetic. She was in Hollywood now, and couldn’t just melt back into the crowd. Oh no, indeed.
Listen
There is a prison in Syria holding hundreds of children who have never been convicted of any crime. Michael Safi tells the story of one of them in today’s Full Story.
Yusuf Zahab, an Australian teenager, was one of an estimated 750 children detained in a prison in north-eastern Syria for adult former Islamic State fighters. In January an IS cell attacked the prison.Yusuf, 17, survived days as a human shield in a battle that killed an estimated 500 people. After that, he vanished.
In Sydney Yusuf’s family presume he is dead, and now spend days and nights on the phone to Syrian fixers and the Australian government, seeking answers . Hala Zahab gives the family’s first interview to Michael Safi to ask publicly: what happened to Yusuf?
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
Last night Australia tried to take the world swimming crown off the US during the final night of the Duel in the Pool. They missed, but only just.
Media roundup
Cabinet minister Brendan O’Connor has told the ABC that Scott Morrison’s secret collection of ministries was an “unprecedented contravention of the Westminster system” and Liberal moderate Bridget Archer says Morrison should reflect on his position in parliament. And the Australian reports that NSW treasurer Matt Kean is calling on the federal government to “stamp the passports” of tens of thousands of foreign workers.
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