Morning everyone.New South Wales’s environment watchdog failed to reveal for four years a report linking elevated levels of lead in children’s blood to current mining, new documents reveal.
Plus: Australian Indians are bewildered and concerned by the hostility towards their community by anti-immigration campaigners. Elsewhere, Giorgio Armani has been remembered as the man most responsible for the way we dress after his death at 91, and in sporting news Collingwood have silenced the Adelaide crowd.
Australia
‘Why us?’ | In the wake of the anti-immigration marches, Amar Singh (above) – a one-time Australian of the Year local hero award winner – and others remain shocked and concerned over the racist targeting of Australia’s Indian diaspora community. “We pay our taxes. I’m not sure why they targeted us,” one said.
Miners’ pass | The NSW environment watchdog sat on a report for four years linking elevated levels of lead in children’s blood to current mining and promised mining companies they would not do any “finger-pointing”, new documents tabled in state parliament show.
‘Cultural vandalism’ | One of Australia’s longest running literary journals, Meanjin, has been scrapped in what has been described as an act of “utter cultural vandalism” on the part of the University of Melbourne.
Aged care warning | Vulnerable elderly people could be priced out of laundry and showering help under Labor’s new model for aged care, the independent watchdog has warned, two months out from a co-payment system coming into force.
Tough target | The Albanese government would need up to $530bn worth of capital investment and a potential curbing of coal and gas exports to achieve a 2035 emissions target of 70% or more, according to the Business Council’s new analysis.
World
‘A legend’ | Giorgio Armani (above middle), the celebrated Italian fashion designer who built a global empire, has died, his company said on Thursday. He was 91. Our fashion editor says he was the architect of how we dress and our obituary highlights, among other things, how Richard Gere’s outfits in American Gigolo made the brand’s reputation.
Trump ‘danger’ | The world during Donald Trump’s second presidency has entered a period of danger with “certain similarities to the 30s”, especially in foreign policy, according to Mitch McConnell, the veteran Republican former Senate leader. European leaders have made fresh efforts to pin down Trump on support for Ukraine against Russia.
Air pollutants | Fine-particulate air pollution can drive devastating forms of dementia by triggering the formation of toxic clumps of protein that destroy nerve cells as they spread through the brain, research suggests.
‘Enjoyed the attention’ | A surgeon who froze his legs so they would require amputation to satisfy a sexual obsession before making nearly £500,000 (over A$1m) in insurance claims has been jailed.
Electric Nebraska | One of the great lost albums in rock history will finally see the light of day as Bruce Springsteen announces the release of the electric version of his 1982 album Nebraska.
Full Story
Newsroom edition: covering the far right without amplifying hate
Bridie Jabour speaks to Guardian Australia’s editor, Lenore Taylor, and national news editor, Josephine Tovey, about the challenges of covering the far right without amplifying their dangerous views.
In-depth
The robodebt case is the largest class-action settlement in Australian history, with roughly 450,000 people sharing $475m in compensation. Much more important, argues Prof Peter Whiteford, a public policy expert, is the impact it has had on many of the victims – with trauma for very many, including some deaths by suicide. It has been called “the social engineering of shame”.
Not the news
With their debut album Now Would Be A Good Time released during their current European and UK tour, the Melbourne indie band Folk Bitch Trio tell Katie Cunningham about the vicissitudes of rock’n’roll and singing about “the turmoils of being in your 20s, and the pathetic little tragedies that you have”.
Sport
AFL | Collingwood blocked out the noise from a raucous home crowd at the Adelaide Oval to beat the Crows by 24 points and advance to the preliminary final, thanks largely to a devastating 15-minute burst in the third quarter.
Football | Sam Kerr is poised to make her long-awaited return for Chelsea on Friday night (Saturday in Australia) after 20 months out because of a serious knee injury when the Women’s Super League season gets under way.
Rugby union | England’s women have warned that they will be “predators not prey” as Australia go into their Ashes clash against the hosts at the women’s World Cup on Saturday needing to win.
Tennis | Novak Djokovic stands in the way of Carlos Alcaraz reaching his third grand slam final in a row when they take to the court in the US Open on Friday New York time.
Media roundup
The Age reports details on a series of meetings Daniel Andrews has held with Chinese business figures in the past year. The Tasmanian world heritage site, Woolmers Estate, needs thousands of dollars to keep it open, the Mercury reports. The torching of a convenience store in Moruya on the NSW south coast has been linked to the state’s tobacco wars, the Batemans Bay Post reports.
What’s happening today
Technology | A judgment is due in the federal court in Sydney in an ACCC case against Meta alleging misleading or deceptive conduct.
Canberra | The Council on Federal Financial Relations will meet to discuss road user charge and GST funding arrangements.
Melbourne | A funeral for Sr Const Vadim de Waart-Hottart, who was shot dead in Porepunkah, will be held at at the Victoria Police Academy in Glen Waverley.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
