Morning, everyone. Andrew Forrest has continued his transformation from carbon-heavy industry titan to green evangelist by launching a scathing attack on the oil and gas industry and imploring businesses to stop burning fossil fuels. We have an exclusive interview from Cop28 where Forrest arrived by ship powered by green hydrogen.
In other news, disability advocates want a guarantee that NDIS claimants won’t lose out in the latest reforms, and alarm grows in the US about an authoritarian takeover by Donald Trump.
Australia
Mega merger | Australian oil and gas giants Woodside Energy and Santos are in preliminary discussions about a potential merger, the companies said, in line with a global trend of consolidation among energy firms.
Exclusive | Speaking at Cop28, Andrew Forrest has told Guardian Australia about his worldwide ad campaign shaming oil and gas companies by portraying them as ostriches with their heads in the sand on climate science. He says that if other companies don’t change they will have “blood on their hands”.
NDIS fears | Disability advocates have urged federal and state governments for an “ironclad commitment” that no one will be phased out of the national disability insurance scheme and on to new proposed support services before they are properly in place. We also look at what the changes are and how people have reacted.
App fail | A government-funded mental health platform, primarily owned by PwC and the University of Sydney, “does not seem to have demonstrated clinical outcomes of healthcare value”, a study has found.
Day of reckoning | A team of at least 20 heavily armed FBI agents lay in wait to arrest Donald Day Jr – the US conspiracy theorist linked to the Wieambilla shootings – when he pulled up at a Dairy Queen restaurant in Arizona.
Correction | Yesterday’s Morning Mail included an incorrect reference to “damages” paid by News Corp to Bruce Lehrmann. The payment was an out-of-court settlement of his defamation claim.
World
Trump takeover | Donald Trump could stage an authoritarian takeover if he is returned to power, according to leading figures in US politics including Liz Cheney and Joe Biden – and even Trump himself.
Gaza strategy | Israel’s military has continued its heavy bombardment amid intense fighting in Gaza as its war with Hamas hit the two-month mark and it appeared the Israelis are trying to make Gaza unliveable in what analysts call “domicide”.
‘Party ‘travesty’ | Boris Johnson said there was nothing he could have reasonably done to stop lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street, calling media coverage and TV adaptations of these events “a travesty of the truth”.
Depardieu accused | A second actor, Hélène Darras, has filed an official complaint against Gérard Depardieu, claiming the French star sexually assaulted her on the set of the 2007 film Disco.
Finger pointing | A BBC news anchor who was captured giving the middle finger at the start of a program has apologised for a “silly joke” meant for friends but not for a live broadcast.
Full Story
Newsroom edition: Australia’s problem with building big
Laura Murphy-Oates talks to Guardian Australia’s head of newsroom, Mike Ticher, and national news editor, Patrick Keneally, about why building public infrastructure such as the Rozelle interchange never goes as planned.
In-depth
A report this week into the politicisation of the public service in Victoria found that the headcount in former premier Daniel Andrews’ office equalled that of the prime minister and New South Wales premier’s offices combined as his staff exerted influence across government. But while Andrews dismissed it as “educational”, his successor, Jacinta Allan, has impressed insiders with a more collegiate approach. Can she move out of the shadow of the three-time election winner?
Not the news
If Sydneysiders think the new Rozelle interchange is bad – and last night they told everyone that they really do – or Melburnians are fed up with Westgate bridge delays, they might do well to check out our photo essay today about life in the world’s megacities. This stunning picture of traffic in Jakarta tells its own story of what congestion can really be like, while photographs from Cairo and Delhi illustrate the population pressure in cities of 22.2 million and 32.9 million souls.
The world of sport
Rugby union | The British & Irish Lions will take on Argentina in Dublin in preparation for their 2025 tour to Australia in what will be their first match in Ireland.
Football | The trial of Nice coach Christophe Galtier over race and religious discrimination charges turns the spotlight on the judgment of Manchester United’s would-be part-owner.
Figure skating | Ilia Malinin of the US has landed a quadruple axel jump on his way to taking the short-program lead at the figure skating Grand Prix Finals.
Media roundup
Some private schools have increased teachers’ pay as fees for year 9 children push past $40,000 a year, the Sydney Morning Herald claims. The Financial Review declares that the possible Woodside-Santos merger would make sense as the fossil fuel industry consolidates. Fire chiefs have warned South Australians that flash floods this weekend will give way to the worst fire conditions “in years”, the Advertiser says.
What’s happening today
Brisbane | The One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, will make a major announcement aboiut the 2024 Queensland election.
Hobart | The Tasmanian parliamentary inquiry looks into planning surrounding a proposed $715m stadium in Hobart.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
