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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Martin Farrer

Morning Mail: Virgin pilots warn of fatigue, Albanese attacks ‘shallow’ Dutton, tourist’s terror attack escape

Virgin Australia aircraft at Sydney airport
Virgin Australia aircraft at Sydney airport. Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuters

Morning everyone. Working at the limits of fatigue, back-to-back 11- or 12-hour days and a roster system “not fit for purpose”. These are some of the complaints made by Virgin Australia pilots, who say in our exclusive top story this morning that working practices pose a “clear, present safety risk”.

In other news, Anthony Albanese accuses Peter Dutton of having a “wrecking” strategy, a bizarre “two-hour-long pagan mass” given by Argentinian president Javier Milei, and an Australian tourist tells how he escaped death in a terror attack in Afghanistan.

Australia

  • ‘Shallow and shambolic’ | Anthony Albanese begins his third year as prime minister by going on the political attack, accusing Peter Dutton of fuelling division and taking a “shallow and shambolic” approach to policy.

  • Exclusive | Senior pilots at Virgin Australia have alleged fatigue is widespread in their ranks and raised safety concerns about a roster system some claim is working them “to the limits”. As they fight the private equity-owned airline over a proposal to strip pilots of six days off a year, Guardian Australia has obtained correspondence from senior pilots pleading for action to address worker fatigue.

  • Exclusive | The services company Serco was fined for having “concealed” the “inappropriate” use of firefighting equipment for crowd control at the Christmas Island detention centre – including on people not involved in riots.

  • Taxing issue | The accounting firm controlled by the secretive Exclusive Brethren church has announced it will close after an extraordinary raid conducted by the Australian Taxation Office.

  • ‘We were fish in a barrel’ | An Australian tourist targeted in a deadly shooting in Afghanistan thought he would die after coming face to face with an Islamic State gunman who killed three Spanish tourists from the group, as well as three Afghans.

World

Full Story

Newsroom edition: why the Coalition’s nuclear policy makes no sense

As Peter Dutton once again talks up nuclear power as the Coalition’s signature energy policy, editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor and deputy editor Patrick Keneally discuss why a nuclear transition is the wrong path for Australia.

In-depth

“He’s completely screwed me on all counts but I’m convinced he’s our only chance,” says one man in the crowd at a book launch-cum-rock concert staged by Argentina’s far-right president Javier Milei (pictured). Striding around the stage of the 8,000-seat arena in Buenos Aires, Milei screamed into his mic: “I’m the king and I will destroy you!”, and “I eat the elites for breakfast!”. La Nación said it was like nothing ever seen before and described his “performance” as “a two-hour-long pagan mass celebrated by a president in ecstasy”. It’s a must read from Jacundo Iglesia and Tom Phillips.

Not the news

The third season of Prime’s documentary series The Test follows Australia’s men’s cricket team in England for what proved to be a memorable and extremely combustible Ashes contest. From Pat Cummins dealing with an angry mob calling him a cheat to David Warner hurling bats, the camera captures everything. As Mitch Marsh says: “For people to see how heavy Lords was, understand what we went through – it’s special.”

The world of sport

Media roundup

All 18 AFL clubs have been put on notice that they could face a class action over historic racism, the Age claims in an exclusive. The popular New South Wales ski resort of Charlotte Pass has been forced to close weeks before the start of the season because of a fire that destroyed its sewage treatment centre, the Sydney Morning Herald says. Three people have had a miraculous escape after a train derailed at a notorious crossing on the Barwon Highway, the Courier Mail reports.

What’s happening today

  • Sydney | Hearing for US extradition case against Daniel Duggan at 10am.

  • Victoria | Police apology to Stolen Generation in Melbourne.

  • Perth | The latest strategic conference in the Linda Reynolds, David Sharaz, Brittany Higgins defamation case starts at 4.15pm.

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Brain teaser

And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.

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