Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
Good morning, this is Helen Sullivan bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Friday 14 June.
Top stories
The Queensland government says the federal water decision on Adani “reeked of political interference”. In a speech to the Queensland parliament yesterday, the state environment minister, Leeanne Enoch, said the federal government would need to justify its decision to approve a previous version of the company’s groundwater plan, given that state regulators had required significant improvements to the document before signing it off. The new federal environment minister, Sussan Ley, called the remarks “a political line” but suggested the government could be open to looking at the strengthened conditions.
Thousands of Australians living with a life-threatening swallowing condition could now get NDIS funding after the National Disability Insurance Agency lost a high-stakes case at the administrative appeals tribunal. Experts and advocates have described the decision as a “watershed”, arguing the agency would now be forced to fund swallowing supports, which are vital for people living with dysphagia. That would end a long-running battle in which the NDIA claimed the supports should be offered by the states. But the ruling may also have broader implications for people with disabilities, and for the agency’s finances, as it threatens to overhaul what are considered state and NDIS responsibilities.
Kevin Rudd has blamed Malcolm Turnbull’s ‘domestically and politically self-indulgent nuttiness’ for the difficult relationship between China and Australia, in a wide-ranging address in which the former PM predicted that the US and China had a “50-50” chance of reaching an agreement to end the trade war, and compared China’s state-run media to News Corp. Rudd, who is now the director of the Asia Society Policy Institute based in New York and is studying for a PhD on China’s President Xi Jinping at Oxford University, spoke at the Lowy Institute in Sydney last night in an unguarded manner, repeatedly expressing his disdain for Donald Trump – whom he called “the Trumpster” or “the Donald”.
World
The UK home secretary, Sajid Javid, has revealed he has signed a request for Julian Assange to be extradited to the US, where the WikiLeaks founder faces charges of computer hacking. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today program on Thursday, Javid said: “He’s rightly behind bars. There’s an extradition request from the US that is before the courts tomorrow but yesterday I signed the extradition order and certified it.”
In a busy day in Washington, Donald Trump has announced that his press secretary, Sarah Sanders, is stepping down, the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, blamed Iran for an early-morning assault on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman, and a federal watchdog is recommending that Donald Trump fire his White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway for repeatedly violating a law that limits political activity by government workers.
Conservative leadership candidates are in talks about joining forces to provide the strongest challenge to Boris Johnson, who looks all but certain to be Britain’s next PM after trouncing rivals in the first MPs’ ballot.
Activists in Hong Kong have called for a march on Sunday and a boycott of work and classes on Monday in continued protests against an extradition bill that could result in suspects being sent to mainland China. Debate in the Legislative Council at the bill was postponed again on Thursday.
A two-hour “dose” of nature a week significantly boosts health and wellbeing, research suggests, even if you simply sit and enjoy the peace. If confirmed by future research, two hours in nature could join five a day of fruit and veg and 150 minutes of exercise a week as official health advice.
Opinion and analysis
“I was on assignment for the French magazine Le Figaro covering a profile story about the legendary Afghan warlord Ahmed Shah Masood,” writes Stephen Dupont, looking back at his career in photographs. “Masood’s Northern Alliance were in control of only 10% of Afghanistan; the Taliban controlled the rest. I was given such close access to him that I could candidly be with him and photograph pretty much everything he did. He had a mesmerising and powerful presence when you were in his company, which made photographing him really exciting. It all came together in an orchard outside the town of Faizabad in the north. Masood and his friends had just finished prayers at sundown when something caught his gaze skyward.”
Brigid Delaney got scammed by an Indian fake visa website and had to panic buy presents in London before her money was cut off. She remained calm. “Finding the nearest cash machine, I take out the maximum amount of money but it’s still nowhere near enough for two weeks’ travelling. Shove cash wad in wallet but it doesn’t fit and bulges out precariously. Race across the road, narrowly miss getting hit by doubledecker bus. I need shoes and sunglasses. Must buy before card expires. Run to Primark. Shop too large and confusing. People walk slowly, staring at their phones. Thought this was supposed to be fast fashion.”
Sport
Australia beat Brazil 3-2 in the Women’s World Cup. “The much-vaunted Australian side recovered from the threat of group stage ignominy in a match featuring five goals, VAR, a comeback from 2-0 down and champion players inspired by enmity for each other,” writes Richard Parkin. South Africa are playing China now.
Cricket World Cup’s summer dream is turning into a washout nightmare. At 3pm on Thursday match officials and ground staff accepted the inevitable at Trent Bridge, India and New Zealand split the two points on offer and concern escalated around the competition.
Thinking time: Can lightning strike twice?
When Donald Trump launches his presidential re-election campaign next week, he will do it at a rally in the Amway Center in a part of Florida better known for Cape Canaveral and Walt Disney World. It will be four years and two days since the property developer and reality TV star descended an escalator at Trump Tower in New York to launch the longest of long-shot campaigns by raging against unfair trade deals and promising to “build a great wall” on the US-Mexico border.
He was dismissed. He was scorned. He was laughed at. But he had the last laugh. To the astonishment and consternation of the establishment, Trump went on to offer the ultimate proof that in America anyone can be president. Now he has to hope that lightning can strike twice. This time the insurgent is the incumbent, lacking outsider status or shock value, but boasting all the advantages of incumbency, a vast war chest and buy-in from Republican party mandarins. Will he run a more conventional campaign this time? Will he heed the advice of his well-paid advisers? Has the presidency changed him at all?
Media roundup
The Australian reports that Matthias Corman says he won’t do deals with crossbench senators to gain support for the Coalition’s personal income tax cuts, leaving the decision up to Labor. A plan to recover the student debts of people who have died was under consideration by the federal government before ultimately being rejected, the ABC reveals. Two men bought thousands of dollars worth of blouses from a Vinnies in Crows Nest, “in the hours before they allegedly took part in a billion-dollar drug importation,” the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Coming up
Brenton Tarrant, 28, will face one count of engaging in a terrorist act when he appears in a New Zealand court today. He will also face 51 counts of murder and 40 of attempted murder after the 15 March shootings at two Christchurch mosques.
A state memorial service will be held for Bob Hawke at the Sydney Opera House at 11.30am.
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