| | | 05/04/2024 Pressure mounts over Gaza, agency warned about Centrepay, Taylor Auerbach to return to stand |
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| Martin Farrer |  |
| | | Morning everyone. The pressure on Australia to take more action against Israel after the Gaza aid worker killings intensified overnight when the charity involved urged the governments of the staff who died to join its call for an independent inquiry. At home, we reveal how the government was warned repeatedly about the controversial Centrepay debit scheme, and US shipyards are already up to three years behind on work on the new Aukus submarines. |
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| Australia | | Aukus ‘delayed’ | US shipyards are running up to three years late in building new Virginia-class submarines, despite suggestions from a senior US diplomat that the Aukus pact with Australia will help deter Beijing from seizing Taiwan. | Centrepay warnings | The corporate regulator repeatedly warned Services Australia that it should review and consider removing more than 100 companies from the government-run Centrepay debit scheme that allows early access to welfare payments. | Auerbach returns | Former Seven producerTaylor Auerbach will return to the stand in the federal court in Sydney today to continue giving evidence at the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial after yesterday’s dramatic claims. | Gas surplus hope | Australia’s east coast is expected to have a small surplus of gas in the third quarter of 2024, with an improvement in forecast supply since the gas market code was introduced. | Neo-Nazi threat | Australian white supremacists and neo-Nazis who are creating crowdfunding campaigns and “active clubs” to train members in combat must be monitored more closely, a prominent global counter-extremist organisation has told a Senate inquiry. |
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| World | | ‘Historic’ heatwave | A “historic heatwave” is sending temperatures soaring across south-east Asia with 44C recorded in central Myanmar, 40.2C in southern Thailand and 40.6C in north-west Vietnam. | India power play | The Modi government assassinated individuals in Pakistan as part of a wider strategy to eliminate enemies living on foreign soil, according to Indian and Pakistani intelligence operatives who spoke to the Guardian. | Gaza call | The international food charity World Central Kitchen has called for an independent investigation into the Israeli strikes and asked the governments of Australia, Canada, the UK, Poland and the US to back the demand. US president Joe Biden discussed the incident with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in a call overnight, telling him the aid strikes were “unacceptable”. | ‘100-year Maga’ | Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s White House strategist, believed before the 2020 election and the January 6 attack on Congress that a “Maga movement” of Trump supporters “could rule for a hundred years”. | Six million galaxies | The biggest ever 3D map of the universe, featuring more than 6m galaxies, has been revealed by scientists who said it raised questions about the nature of dark energy and the future of the universe. |
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| In-depth | | When thousands of Australians began receiving demands for back tax from the ATO last year, many assumed they were the only ones to receive the letter. But Guardian Australia went on to reveal the campaign, quickly dubbed “robotax”, was designed to capture up to 1.8 million taxpayers of one description or another, mainly individuals, and raise in excess of $15bn. Jonathan Barrett unravels how the scheme started, how people reacted and what politicians are doing in response. |
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| Not the news | | With Anzac Day just three weeks away, the timing of the new Australian film Before Dawn about the nation-making events of the first world war can be expected. The problem is, writes Luke Buckmaster, so is just about everything else in the movie directed by Jordan Prince-Wright and starring Levi Miller. It “deploys the sorts of scenes and messages we’ve seen many times before” such as soldiers bonding despite pushing through perilous terrain, and doesn’t have the big budget of superior productions to cover up the shortcomings. |
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| What’s happening today | Sydney | More new evidence in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Ten. | Economy | Figures on retail trade and international trade for February. | Clare Nowland | Arraignment for police officer Kristian White on a manslaughter charge for allegedly tasering the 95-year-old dementia patient in Cooma. |
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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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| | | Lenore Taylor | | Editor, Guardian Australia |
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| | I hope you appreciated this newsletter. Before you move on, I wonder if you would consider supporting Guardian Australia. As we look ahead to the challenges of 2024, we’re aiming to power more rigorous, independent reporting.
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