| | | 07/02/2024 Closing the Gap failing, no immunity for Trump, homelessness deaths ‘unacceptable’ |
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| Martin Farrer |  |
| | | Morning everyone. “Weak” action, broken promises and failing to listen to Indigenous communities. These are just some of the problems with Closing the Gap identified in a scathing report today that warns the program will fail without major reform. Plus: the housing minister has come out in support of the campaign to improve monitoring of homelessness deaths, and a US federal court says Donald Trump is not immune from prosecution for alleged election interference. |
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 | Australia | | Out in the cold | The federal housing minister, Julie Collins, has described hundreds of premature homelessness deaths as “completely unacceptable” amid a push for a reporting scheme to shine a light on the crisis. The latest feature in our Out in the cold series charts the tragic story of rough sleeper Pasquale Giorgio who died in a police van in Surfers Paradise. | Widening gap | The Productivity Commission report on Closing the Gap will make uncomfortable reading in Canberra with a warning that successive governments have failed to accept “that they do not know what is best for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people”. | Live export limbo | About 17,000 sheep and cattle intended for live export to Israel could be slaughtered in Australia if the exporters fail to come up with a plan to take the animals safely to the Middle East. | Anglicare review | The New South Wales government says it will review a court case in which Anglicare Sydney refused to assess the Aboriginal aunt of an Aboriginal baby as a long-term carer because she was in a same-sex relationship. | Rate wait | Yesterday’s decision by the Reserve Bank to keep rates on hold shows that the RBA governor, Michele Bullock, wants to make sure inflation is truly under control before releasing the handbrake, our economics correspondent writes. |
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| World | | No immunity for Trump | A federal appeals court panel has decided to reject Donald Trump’s arguments that he cannot be criminally prosecuted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results because it involved actions he took while president. Joe Biden has dismissed calls from his White House predecessor to “immediately” schedule a presidential debate, as the president campaigned for Hispanic and black votes in Nevada. | Hostages fear | The Israeli military believes that at least 32 of the 136 remaining hostages captured by Hamas on 7 October are dead. But hopes are growing for a new ceasefire deal. | Harry returns | The Duke of Sussex has returned to the UK, making an emergency dash from the US to see the King after Charles’s cancer diagnosis and amid hopes that the situation could help heal the family rift. | Proxy war | Ukrainian special forces are reportedly operating in Sudan in support of the country’s army against the Russian Wagner mercenaries aligned with rebels. | Smoke signal | Stopping smoking at any age helps to reduce the risk of cancer, according to a major study which found the most substantial drop in cancer risk came after the first decade of stubbing out. |
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| Full Story | | Two friends on a personal mission to cure cancer When Prof Georgina Long and Prof Richard Scolyer won Australians of the Year for their work on treating melanoma, the story emerged of their equally challenging battle to use their expertise on Richard’s own terminal brain cancer. | |
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| In-depth | | Last year 21% of all vehicles sold in Australia were utes, with many used as family transport. But that could be about to change, with industry insiders warning that Labor’s new vehicle efficiency standard will lead to some SUVs being discontinued or becoming more expensive. Popular models such as the Toyota Hilux and Ford Rangers, for example, would have to become 60% more fuel efficient to meet the new targets. More fuel efficient vehicles and EVs, meanwhile, look set to be cheaper. Toby Hagon, er, kicks the tyres on the new plans. |
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| Not the news | | As a “loud and proud” gay man, Roland Bull was never interested in having children and used to feign interest in other people’s babies. But all that changed with the birth of his niece six years ago, he writes, and has discovered the joy of seeing the world through a young person’s eyes. |
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| The world of sport | | Formula One | Red Bull principal Christian Horner is fighting to save his career after allegations of inappropriate controlling behaviour were made against him. Horner has denied the claims. | Cricket| Australia crushed a sorry West Indies by eight wickets in the third one-dayer in Canberra, chasing down 87 to win in a record seven overs. | Women’s football | Matildas players will face off in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League with the draw pitting Aivi Luik’s Swedish club BK Hacken against Clare Hunt’s Paris St Germain. Larissa Crummer’s Brann face Barcelona and Ellie Carpenter’s Lyon play Benfica. |
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| Media roundup | RBA governor Michele Bullock is keeping her options open on the next move on rates, but the Fin Review reckons they will stay higher for a while yet. Police tasered a dog that was attacking a woman in western Sydney after tradies tried for 15 minutes to stop the attack, the Telegraph reports. The Age fears that the auction of the building that houses the famous Hill of Content bookshop will be another blow to “bibliographic Melbourne”. |
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| What’s happening today | Melbourne | Committal hearing for St Basil’s Homes for the Aged, which has been charged with breaching regulations during Covid. | Cricket | Second women’s ODI between Australia and South Africa at North Sydney. |
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| Brain teaser | And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow. | |
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