| | 25/02/2025 Albanese puts trust in US alliance, fears for new mothers amid psychiatrist crisis, Guy Pearce talks Oscars |
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| | | Morning, everyone. Anthony Albanese has been grilled by a television audience who wanted answers on defence, the cost-of-living crisis and antisemitism. The PM said Australia could still depend on the US to come to its aid in the event of an attack. Donald Trump claims a deal with Ukraine on its mineral wealth is “very close” and the US voted against a UN resolution condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. In other news, NSW psychiatrists say the specialised support service for new mothers is in crisis – and Guy Pearce doesn’t think he will win an Oscar. |
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| Australia | | ‘Devastating’ | NSW psychiatrists have warned that specialised support for mothers is in crisis, with one mother separated from her new twins for 33 days as beds in mother-baby units close amid a doctors’ dispute with NSW Health. | PM’s pledge | Anthony Albanese says he is confident that the US would defend Australia if it were to come under attack, despite the change in leadership there. But he added that Australia needed to look after its own security and would make its own decisions on foreign policy. | Turvey trial | Cassius Turvey was spotted holding his bloody head after being chased into bushland by two men with metal poles in Perth, the trial into his murder has been told. | Weapons warning | New Zealand’s defence minister has warned that Chinese warships located off the east coast of Australia are armed with “extremely capable” weapons that could reach Australia. | Building support | Victoria has set new targets for the construction of millions of homes across Melbourne. But are they everything that was promised? Our reporter looks at the detail. |
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| World | | Absolute heroism’ | World leaders gathered in Kyiv yesterday to show their continuing support for Ukraine on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the “absolute heroism of our people”. In Washington, Donald Trump has met France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, and said he was “close” to a rare minerals deal with Ukraine. But the US voted against condemning Russia in the UN. Follow developments live. | Doge days | Elon Musk has escalated his confrontation with US federal workers by attacking a Pentagon official who had criticised the billionaire’s plan to make staff document their work as “the silliest thing I’ve seen in 40 years”. The Tesla tycoon has also been accused of setting off a political firestorm in India after he claimed that the US government had been sending millions of dollars to support the Indian elections. Follow developments in Washington live. | Germany ‘warning’ | The doubling of support for the far right in Germany’s federal election was “the last warning” to the country’s mainstream parties to provide effective leadership, Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s victorious conservative alliance, has said. Elon Musk congratulated the leader of the far-right AfD for doubling its support. | Cancer surge | Breast cancer diagnoses and deaths are projected to surge worldwide by 2050, the World Health Organization’s cancer agency has said, with diagnosis rates highest in Australia and New Zealand. | Soul great | Roberta Flack, the US singer behind a string of hits including Killing Me Softly With His Song, has died aged 88. |
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 | Full Story | | Could you live without money? Jo Nemeth has lived without money for 10 years. When Guardian Australia published her story last month, some readers were critical of her decisions and described her as a “bludger”. Jo speaks to Reged Ahmad about living and working in a nine-person household, the importance of community and the limits of moneyless living. | |
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| In-depth | | Lecture halls are emptying in Australia’s universities as lecturers provide pre-recorded talks, leaving students more isolated and finding it hard to make friends. Luca Ittamani takes a trip to campus to hear how young people including Sam Lane (pictured) think they have been sold an education dream that doesn’t measure up to the reality. |
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| Not the news | | Guy Pearce has been nominated for an Oscar for his role in The Brutalist but he’s not expecting to win, telling our own Sian Cain that Kieran Culkin will win for his turn in A Real Pain. Pearce is promoting his new film, an Australian-made prison drama called Inside (pictured) which gave him a “heartbreaking” insight into life behind bars. |
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| Sport | | NRL | It’s close to kick off again and we start our countdown with a “count up” of our predictions for how the ladder will finish, starting with 17th to ninth. | Surfing | The 17-year-old prodigy Milla Brown matches her male counterparts in aerial ability and tube riding but tells Kieran Pender she is in no hurry to reach the WSL. | Football | Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is to close the staff canteen at Old Trafford and replace the free lunches now on offer with fruit as he continues his cost cutting. |
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| Media roundup | Two police officers involved in the hunt for the missing Beaumont children have been reunited at the search site after 60 years, the Adelaide Advertiser reports. The fisher missing after being pulled into the sea by a shark off Port Stephens has been described as a “much-loved” father, the Newcastle Herald reports. |
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| What’s happening today | Canberra | #UASolutionsSummit25 will include addresses by the education minister, teh British high commissioner to Australia and the chief scientist. | Politics | Communications, eSafety and culture Senate estimates hearings will be held. |
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| id: 'cb55'}} | Brain teaser | And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. | |
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| Contact us | If you have a story tip or technical issue viewing this newsletter, please reply to this email. If you are a Guardian supporter and need assistance with regards to contributions and/or digital subscriptions, please email customer.help@guardian.co.uk |
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A message from Lenore Taylor editor of Guardian AustraliaI hope you appreciated this newsletter. Before you move on, I wonder if you would consider supporting our work as we prepare for a pivotal, uncertain year ahead.
The course of world history has taken a sharp and disturbing turn in 2024. Liberalism is under threat from populist authoritarianism. Americans have voted to install a president with no respect for democratic norms, nor the facts that once formed the guardrails of public debate.
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| Lenore Taylor
Editor, Guardian Australia |
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