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The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has confirmed Australia will send government planes to New Caledonia on Tuesday to evacuate nationals from the French territory, which has experienced a week of deadly riots, sparked by electoral changes imposed by the French government in Paris.
France has sent 1,000 security forces to its overseas territory, which has been rocked by seven nights of violence that have left six dead, including two gendarmes, and hundreds injured.
Roughly 3,000 tourists are thought to be marooned in New Caledonia, according to AFP, including more than 300 Australians and nearly 250 New Zealanders. The Guardian’s recent photo gallery captures the fallout from the unrest.
Wong confirmed Australia had received clearance for two flights after the international airport was shut down, and the government would “continue to work on further flights”. New Zealand has also confirmed evacuation flights for its citizens.
If you live in New Caledonia, or have family and friends there, we would like to hear about the situation on the ground.
Top news
Telstra to cut 2,800 jobs | Chief executive Vicki Brady said the changes were needed to deal with inflation and higher energy costs – as well as tough market conditions. “The jobs that we will commence consultation on today do not impact our consumer customer service team,” Brady added. The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says the government will test the telco’s claims.
PM says children under 16 should be banned from social media | The prime minister is backing moves to raise the minimum age for registering social media accounts from 13 to 16 to give teenagers extra time to grow without being subjected to social pressures that can be exacerbated online. Several state premiers have already expressed support for the idea. Read our explainer for more.
Queensland CHO declares public health alert over mental wellbeing of teenagers | The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, said the findings released by chief health officer John Gerrard had demonstrated “a real link between unrestricted social media use and increased distress in children and teens”.
Victoria’s ‘world-first’ medical cannabis trial to finish in late 2025 | A “world-first” trial to assess the impact of medical cannabis on driving ability won’t be finished until late 2025, leading to accusations the Victorian government has delayed addressing an issue once deemed as a priority by Daniel Andrews. The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, on Tuesday, announced that Swinburne University of Technology had been selected to run the trial.
Doctor trapped in Gaza hospital begs government to evacuate medical team | Sydney-based Dr Modher Albeiruti is among 16 international doctors and medical workers who have been stranded inside the European hospital in Khan Younis since Israel took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing this month. The US government has evacuated 17 of its nationals from the cohort but healthcare workers from other countries – reportedly the UK, Australia, Egypt, Jordan and Oman – remain stranded.
Kate Jenkins to push gender equality as sports administrator | The former sex discrimination commissioner has said the popularity of the Matildas proves there is no downside to promoting female athletes. The lawyer and governance expert, who is also a former board member at AFL club Carlton, was appointed chair of the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) on Monday.
Trump campaign threatens legal action over biopic | The Trump campaign has come out swinging against The Apprentice after the film, which depicts the former president raping his first wife, shocked audiences at Cannes, with a spokesperson saying that they will be “filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend film-makers”. The film, which opens with a disclaimer that the events depicted are fictionalised, earned an eight-minute standing ovation at the Cannes film festival on Monday.
Sam Kerr certain to miss Paris Olympics | The Matlidas captain has been rehabilitating from knee surgery since rupturing her ACL in January. Her absence from the Olympics was confirmed when coach Tony Gustavsson unveiled his 23-player squad today.
NZ feather becomes most expensive in the world | A rare and highly prized feather from the extinct New Zealand huia bird has sold for NZD$46,521 (US$28,365), making it by far the world’s most expensive feather ever sold at auction. The huia was the largest of New Zealand’s wattlebird species, known for its beautiful song, its predominantly black glossy feathers and long tail feathers tipped with white. The last confirmed sighting of a huia was in 1907, though it is believed they were still alive into the 1920s.
In pictures
Inequality? That’s a bit rich!
Who says times are tough, asks cartoonist Fiona Katauskas.
What they said …
***
“There’s nothing to be served by the ongoing incarceration of Mr Assange” – Anthony Albanese.
The prime minister’s comments follow news that the WikiLeaks founder has been granted leave to mount a fresh appeal against his extradition to the US.
In numbers
An Australian Council for Educational Research report found exposure to bullying among Australian students was higher than all comparison countries except Latvia, with experts warning classroom disorder is leading to poorer school outcomes.
Before bed read
Have you ever broken a bone? The law? A heart? How an encounter with a stranger changed me
A moving, unsettling social experiment staged as part of Vivid festival brings people together, two at a time, writes Kelly Bourke.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: WAD. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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