Two prominent Australians from very different walks of life have died today.
The Liberal senator Jim Molan, a former major general in the Australian army and one of the architects of Tony Abbott’s hardline military-led policy to deter asylum seekers arriving by boat, has died at 72 after a “sudden and rapid” decline in health after Christmas.
And the Australian jazz and soul icon Renée Geyer, known for songs including It’s A Man’s Man’s World and Say I Love You, has died at the age of 69. The singer died from complications following hip surgery in Geelong. While in hospital, she was also diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer.
Top news
Victoria decriminalises public drunkenness | Indigenous representatives have welcomed the Victorian government’s decision to not replace public intoxication laws with new police powers. Apryl Day – the daughter of Yorta Yorta woman Tanya Day (pictured), who died in custody in 2017 after being arrested under the laws – heralded it as “a really powerful moment”. Separately, a Victorian police officer who sprayed a photographer with capsicum spray in 2021 will not be punished after being cleared by an internal investigation.
Penrith woman’s body found | A man is in custody after a 27-year-old woman was found dead in her unit.
Russian and Belarusian flags banned from Australian Open | Tennis Australia issued the ban after a fan displayed a Russian flag during a first-round match between Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova and Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl.
Murray region misses out on tourism revenue | The area is usually teeming with campers this time of year, but extensive damage from recent floods has kept caravan and national parks closed. As of last week, 86 national parks were closed across New South Wales. In Victoria, 29 national parks remain closed and 48 have partial closures in place. “It’s impacted all of the tourism and that has a very, very big impact on the local economy,” said one holiday park manager.
Journalists angered by new federal court restrictions | Fifty-eight journalists from the ABC, Guardian Australia, Nine, and News Corp have written to the chief justice of the federal court, James Allsop, urging him to undo changes that would limit public access to court documents. The federal court last month enacted new rules limiting access to documents for non-parties until a case’s first directions hearing, a rule that would considerably delay media access to key information about proceedings.
China’s economy slows | The nation’s GDP grew 3% in 2022, its slowest pace since the mid-1970s. It exceeded the World Bank’s prediction of 2.7%, but still fell short of China’s own target of 5.5%. In the wake of the GDP release, shares in BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue – Australia’s three largest iron ore miners – were down 1.3-2.2%, compared with a 0.2% decline for the overall market.
Rishi Sunak blocks Scotland’s gender law | Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has decried a UK government move to block its gender recognition law as a “a full-frontal attack on our democratically elected Scottish parliament”. Scotland would have been the first part of the UK to introduce a self-identification system for people who want to change gender.
Russian mercenary seeks asylum in Norway | Andrey Medvedev (pictured), an alleged former commander with the Russian mercenary Wagner Group, is said to have deserted the battlefield after witnessing war crimes in Ukraine.
Sexual assault claim against tenor | A Spanish woman has claimed that Plácido Domingo harassed and assaulted her when they worked together two decades ago. At least 20 women have so far accused Domingo of forcibly kissing, grabbing or fondling them in incidents dating back to the 1980s. Domingo has said he believed all his interactions were consensual.
Full Story
ChatGPT and the rise of AI
Universities are scrambling to combat AI-assisted cheating and some outlets, like the Australian satirical site the Chaser, will paywall their content to prevent it being used as AI training material. Prof Toby Walsh, an AI expert, discusses in this 19-minute episode how artificial intelligence is changing the future of learning, art and work.
What they said …
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“The gas industry is still behaving like a bunch of bullies and effectively looking like they’re withholding supply.” – Andrew Richards, CEO of the Energy Users Association of Australia
Price caps on gas and coal set by the Albanese government late last year appear to be having little effect so far on supply strains.
In numbers
China has entered an “era of negative population growth” which will see it overtaken by India as the most populous nation on earth. Last year’s birthrate was 6.77 births for every 1,000 people, down from a rate of 7.52 births in 2021, marking the lowest birthrate on record.
Before bed read
Yes, exercise can be laborious, but it is an essential need if we are to spend our mortal existence in the healthiest way possible. So how about devoting five minutes to some simple exercises that can make a difference to how you move and feel? Here’s a few easy ones to start with.
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