| | 13/01/2025 New fears over LA fires, ‘organic’ labels get reality check, the push for reproductive leave |
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| | | Good morning. Firefighters are still battling to contain California’s wildfires before strong winds are forecast that could spark further destruction – and amid political fallout about a lack of water to help fight the flames. There are warnings that the death toll will almost certainly rise as emergency crews search thousands of destroyed homes across Los Angeles. Back at home there are warnings that shoppers are being duped by widespread mislabelling of “organic” products. And new research suggests that universal reproductive leave could be a “gamechanger” for Australian workers. But how would it work? |
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| Australia | | Bad labels | Organic farmers and retailers have warned that Australians are being misled by some producers who engage in a form of greenwashing by falsely labelling their products “organic”. | NSW logging | Logging of native forest in the proposed Great Koala national park in northern NSW has intensified since the Minns government took office, according to analysis by conservation advocates. | Reproductive leave | Giving Australians 12 days leave each year for menstrual pain, menopause and IVF could save a fortune, a new study has found – but only a handful of workplaces offer it. | Magic Beach transformed | Alison Lester’s beloved 90s bestseller now has a big-screen adaptation from the director of The Dry – featuring 10 animated adventures by 10 different artists. | What we did – and didn’t – learn | Peter Dutton’s unofficial campaign launch had a log cabin story, an official slogan and – later in the day – a policy booklet but there were no new announcements. |
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 | Full Story | | The Australian election is coming – what moments will define the campaign? There is still no date for the federal election but Anthony Albanese has switched to campaign mode, hitting electorates across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia all in one week. With the PM’s approval rating sliding, a potential interest-rate cut on the horizon and Donald Trump reclaiming the keys to the White House, Nour Haydar speaks with Dan Jervis-Bardy about the events that could shape federal politics this year. | |
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| | | | | | | | | The most important news from Australia and the globe, as it breaks |
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| | Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties |
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| In-depth | | Antimicrobial resistance threatens many of the gains of modern medicine, making even routine surgery much riskier. Jackson Ryan followed Trevor Lithgow, a biochemist at Monash University, and his team, to Merri Creek north of Melbourne to look for what some scientists believe could be powerful artillery against the threat of superbugs: bacteriophages, natural born bacteria-killers, which are uniquely attuned to hunt and kill microbes. |
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| Not the news | | Mallrat was poised for pop domination. Then tragedy struck. A month after the singer-songwriter finished her second album, her younger sister died. Grief melted over everything like a black sludge and left her “brain like an empty cave”. But as the light starts to break through the cracks of a difficult year, she speaks to Katie Cunningham about how she has rediscovered the magic of music. |
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| What’s happening today | NSW | Conservationists concerned about the impact of native logging on koalas are to rally in Coffs Harbour and Sydney. | Queensland | A court mention is scheduled in Brisbane for a state government consultant charged after the alleged disclosure of official secrets. | NSW | A man is due to appear in court in Newcastle facing animal cruelty charges after the discovery of 98 dead kangaroos. |
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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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A message from Lenore Taylor editor of Guardian AustraliaI hope you appreciated this newsletter. Before you move on, I wonder if you would consider contributing to our end-of-year fundraiser 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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