Good afternoon. Papers released from Britain’s National Archives have revealed Tony Blair’s government was privately lobbied by Australia not to meet a group of Indigenous leaders who came to the UK in late 1999, including Prof Marcia Langton and former Labor senator Patrick Dodson, describing the delegation as “troublemakers”.
A memo written by Blair’s foreign affairs adviser, John Sawers, refers to an apparent intervention by the then Australian high commissioner, Philip Flood, comparing the situation to John Howard meeting Northern Ireland republicans. The memo suggested: “Can’t we plead diary problems?”
Elsewhere among the released papers, correspondence between the Blair and Howard governments reveal problems Australia still grapples with today – doubts about the US’s reliability as an ally, wrestling with the issue of Indigenous reconciliation, and attracting criticism for its under-commitment to addressing the climate crisis.
Top news
Cold front to dump ‘decent dose’ of rain on drought-affected parts of south-east Australia
Alleged childcare paedophile Joshua Dale Brown likely to face more charges, court told
In pictures
It is said there are three religions on the Tiwi Islands: culture, Catholicism and footy. The football grand final is held in the midst of the dry season as part of a larger cultural celebration that includes art, dance and fashion. The remote Northern Territory Indigenous community produces more AFL draftees per capita than anywhere else in Australia.
What they said …
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“I feel fine. My balance sucks. It’s like being on a boat.” – Billy Joel
The 76-year-old singer has opened up about his health after cancelling his scheduled concerts mid-tour in May and announcing that he’d been diagnosed with the neurological condition normal pressure hydrocephalus. Speaking on the Club Random podcast this week, Joel said he felt “good”. “They keep referring to what I have as a brain disorder, so it sounds a lot worse than what I’m feeling,” he said.
In numbers
New analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office shows the major cuts to healthcare and welfare programs in Donald Trump’s so-called “big beautiful bill” are estimated to save the country $1.1tn – only a small portion of the $4.5tn in lost revenue that will come from the bill’s tax cuts. The CBO estimates the bill will leave 10 million Americans without health insurance over the next 10 years.
Before bed read
My petty gripe: I don’t begrudge your coffee addiction – but do you have to be such a bore about it?
A fondness for hot brown liquid is not a personality trait, writes Janine Israel, who is sick of waiting around for people to find their perfect brew.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: LOP. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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