Good morning, this is James Murray bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Wednesday 10 June.
Top stories
Legal experts have called for the investigations into several high-profile Indigenous deaths in custody to be reopened. State and territory public prosecutors need to investigate past cases “where there has been insufficient coronial inquest and insufficient investigation”, said Dr Thalia Anthony, a law professor at the University of Technology Sydney. “There needs to be criminal investigation, not only to re-examine the evidence, but in light of standards we have for the treatment of First Nations lives.” A Guardian Essential poll has found that a third of Australians believe their police force is institutionally racist. There was widespread agreement that US police forces were “unwilling to deal with institutional racism in the past” but 43% of respondents believed stories of racism involving Australian police to be isolated incidents. There have been at least 437 Indigenous deaths in custody since the 1991 royal commission.
The director of emergency medicine research at one of Australia’s busiest hospitals says she has seen “extreme examples of people with severe alcohol dependency” during the Covid-19 lockdown. Prof Diana Egerton-Warburton, who works at Monash Health in Melbourne, said she had seen an increase in alcohol-related harm in recent months. A new survey by the Australian National University found Australians are drinking more frequently during the pandemic than in the three years prior.
The Coalition may appeal against the federal court’s ruling that Labor’s live cattle export ban in 2011 was invalid, amid fears the decision could have broader ramifications for decision making by ministers. Last week the court ruled that the blanket suspension of live cattle export in 2011 was invalid, “capricious and unreasonable”, and amounted to “misfeasance in public office”. It is possible the government will seek to compensate the affected graziers while appealing against aspects of the court decision.
Australia
The search for a missing teenager in Victoria continues into its third day. William Callaghan, who has non-verbal autism, raced ahead during a family hike at Mount Disappointment and became separated.
Jimmy Barnes, Tina Arena and Archie Roach are among 1,000 signatories to a letter calling for a rescue package for the music industry. The Australian music industry “fell off a cliff” when government-mandated shutdowns began on 13 March, the letter says.
There have been more job losses at News Corp, this time at metropolitan newspapers. The Herald Sun, the Daily Telegraph and the Australian newsrooms are to be reshaped as the company focuses on digital.
The ABC will cut 250 jobs to to meet a $41m budget shortfall from Coalition funding cuts. The managing director, David Anderson, has told staff job losses are unavoidable and voluntary redundancies will be offered.
A windfarm project in Queensland will not go ahead to protect vulnerable species in an old-growth forest. The federal environment minister, Sussan Ley, rejected the farm, but conservationists have pointed out that she approved a coalmine in Queensland’s Bowen basin that would have a similar effect.
The world
George Floyd was farewelled in Houston today, several weeks after he was killed by a Minneapolis police officer. Floyd will be interred next to his late mother.
Protesters across the US have been attacked by men armed with guns and cars. Those brandishing firearms at protests now include members of the pro-gun, anti-government “boogaloo movement” – claiming they have come to help anti-racism demonstrations.
New Zealand has enjoyed its first restriction-free day with hugs and handshakes. Across the country people held small celebrations as life almost returned to normal.
An Irish woman has asked detectives to review her case in light of the emergence of a credible suspect in the Madeleine McCann case. Hazel Behan was working 30 minutes’ drive from where Madeleine was abducted when she was viciously assaulted by a stranger in her apartment in 2004.
Recommended reads
YouTube’s new show Instant Influencer, which aims to find the next viral make-up vlogger, is possibly 2020’s most transparent reality show. Contestants have one aim: selling #spon on social media. Guardian Australia’s Stream Team describe the show, hosted by vlogging megastar James Charles, as completely vapid and endlessly interesting. With an estimated net worth of between US$12m and US$22m, Charles is one of the beauty world’s premier influencers, most famous for becoming CoverGirl’s first male spokesperson at age 17 and his feud with fellow YouTuber Tati Westbrook.
Ranjana Srivastava has lost several patients to cancer during the pandemic. This would usually have meant her attendance at a string of funerals, as families reached out to the trusted oncologist. But funerals, for a period of time, were held on Zoom, which Srivastava found deeply insufficient for the grieving families.
The underwater photographer Jasmine Carey has won the the Hamdan International Photography award for her image of a humpback whale and its two-week old calf off the coast of Tonga. Carey told Guardian Australia how she captured the shot that has won one of the richest prizes in photography.
Listen
Today’s Full Story podcast looks into the tiny US company that influenced the hydroxychloroquine study published in the Lancet that halted trials around the world. Weeks later the study was retracted and the company behind the data is facing serious scrutiny. Melissa Davey tells us how it all unravelled.
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
Australia and New Zealand’s bid for the Women’s Football World Cup has been given a boost after Brazil dropped out of the race. Only three bids remain ahead of the decision in June.
Media roundup
The Australian reports that the national cabinet, which meets next week, will ditch plans for a rapid scaleback of social restrictions. The Republican senator Rick Scott, one of the most prominent hawks in the US Congress, has urged Australia to join a “cold war” against China, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. And the ABC reports that Australian banks have saved billions by failing to pass on interest rate cuts to customers.
Coming up
Parliament is back in session.
The Ruby Princess inquiry continues.
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