Good morning, this is Tamara Howie bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Wednesday 18 November.
Top stories
An extra 330,000 people will be thrown below the poverty line when the federal government reduces the coronavirus supplement after Christmas. Analysis by the Australian National University’s Ben Phillips shows the $100 reduction to the fortnightly supplement from 1 January would see the number of people in Australia living in poverty increase to 3.82 million. Phillips also finds that if the coronavirus supplement had remained at $550, there would be about 2.66 million people living below the poverty line by January. This means the decision to reduce the supplement down to the 1 January rate will result in an extra 1.16 million people living below the poverty line by the start of next year.
Australia and Japan have reached broad agreement on a defence pact that will allow their forces to train in each other’s territory. The in-principle agreement, reached during Scott Morrison’s lightning visit to Tokyo yesterday, is expected to pave the way for increased defence cooperation and joint exercises between Japan and Australia. The agreement will mark the first time in 60 years that Tokyo has approved a deal permitting foreign troops to operate on its soil.
The US president-elect, Joe Biden, has announced more senior staff appointments as the federal court is set to hold a hearing in the Trump campaign’s Pennsylvania lawsuit. Biden made a sharp break from Donald Trump by naming a White House senior staff that “looks like America”, including five women and four people of colour. Meanwhile the lawsuit, which seems unlikely to succeed, is aimed at delaying Pennsylvania’s certification of Biden’s victory there.
Australia
The live music industry in NSW is celebrating a huge overhaul of archaic restrictions which have been thrown out in sweeping regulatory revamp. The bill is the product of years of research and negotiation between the government and the industry, and has drawn upon the more liberal live performance and liquor legislation found in almost every other jurisdiction in Australia.
Victorians have been promised Australia’s biggest household energy efficiency drive, with the Andrews government pledging $797m to programs it says will cut power bills and greenhouse gas emissions. The measures include a $1,000 rebate for low-income residents to replace old heaters, upgrades to 35,000 social housing properties and a new requirement that landlords keep rental properties at a minimum efficiency standard.
Afghan rights groups have said the federal government must set up a new system of reparations to compensate the victims of alleged war crimes committed by Australian special forces. The highest priority for victims’ families is ensuring justice, accountability and transparency for the alleged crimes, they say.
The NSW transport minister, Andrew Constance, faces renewed pressure over his knowledge of a $53.5m purchase of land in Parramatta, with a key briefing paper showing he was warned it was heavily contaminated. The NSW upper house will vote on whether the matter should be referred to the state’s anti-corruption commission, after it was revealed the government paid three times the estimated value for the land in June 2016.
The world
Iran has warned of a “crushing response” if Donald Trump goes ahead with plans to mount a strike in the region. It was reported that Trump last week looked at options for striking Iran’s main nuclear site but was dissuaded from taking action after his advisers warned it might lead to a larger conflict in the Middle East.
A suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, Christian Brückner, sustained two broken ribs in an incident in a German court, authorities have said. Few details have been releasedt.
Frequent-flying “super emitters” who represent just 1% of the world’s population caused half of aviation’s carbon emissions in 2018, according to a study. Researchers say the 50% drop in passenger numbers in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic should be an opportunity to make the aviation industry fairer and more sustainable.
Twitter and Facebook CEOs are taking the stand to testify about allegations of anti-conservative bias on their platforms. The senate hearing was called in response to how the companies’ platforms handled a New York Post article about Joe Biden. Follow the live blog here.
Dolly Parton has emerged as an unlikely coronavirus hero after donating $1m which supported the latest breakthrough by Moderna and several research papers. The 74-year-old country music star’s donation has also supported convalescent plasma study as well as the development of several research papers pertaining to the virus. It’s the latest example of Parton’s well-known philanthropy.
Recommended reads
“At 19 I did something stupid for love – and paid the price,” writes Jenna Hughes. Hughes was a serving police officer who was sentenced to 12 months in a high-security prison after accessing information on a police database for a love interest. “I didn’t have the wisdom I do today and when he asked me to do a favour for him I thought nothing of it …I was walked to my cell, which had no window, no door, no access to a light switch and two cameras watching my every move. This was by far the hardest three months of my life.”
Kei Nomiyama captured dreamy, long-exposure images of fireflies in the mountains of Shikoku Island – the smallest of Japan’s four main islands. Japan is home to more than 40 species of firefly, who come to life to attract mates during Japan’s rainy season, which coincides with the bloom of hydrangea flowers. Check out the gallery here.
In a year when many have slowed down, Turia Pitt has sped up. The writer and life coach has spent most of this year figuring out what makes people happy. She has spoken with everyone from athletes including Mick Fanning to the Auschwitz survivor Eddie Jaku for her new book Happy and Other Ridiculous Aspirations. Here, she shares the three things that have been most useful in getting her through a busy year.
Listen
More than a week after the US election was called in favour of Joe Biden, Donald Trump is continuing to issue false claims about fraudulent voting and is refusing to concede. While his behaviour may seem shocking, it’s not a great surprise, says Lawrence Douglas, who describes what Trump’s behaviour means for the country in today’s Full Story.
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
Dominic Thiem has defeated Rafael Nadal at the Nitto ATP Finals in London. The US Open champion emerged a 7-6 (7) 7-6 (4) winner to move to within touching distance of the semi-finals.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has admitted its pool of professional match officials is lacking in diversity and a review is under way after two former umpires accused the governing body of institutional racism.
Media roundup
The Hobart Mercury has reported that the Tasmanian government is the most secretive state, refusing to access information for right to information law requests at twice the rate of other states. Established medical schools stand to lose up to 160 commonwealth-supported places over the next five years to a new medical school in Orange, 250km west of Sydney, says the Australian.
Coming up
Federal parliament’s Asic oversight inquiry will hear from the auditor general, Graeme Samuel, Fred Hilmer, Ian Harper and Asic.
The state parliamentary inquiry into Victoria’s contact tracing system begins public hearings.
And if you’ve read this far …
A creepy “road of bones” has been discovered in Siberia, where officials have opened an inquiry into how a human skull and other remains appeared on a frozen highway.
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