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Ferguson
A US grand jury yesterday decided not to indict police officer Darren Wilson over the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, sparking a wave of protests that led to fires and looting in the suburb.
US president Barack Obama appealed for peace in a national address shortly after the decision was announced, but his words were overshadowed by mounting protests in which what appeared to be teargas was already being employed.
We have live coverage of today’s events as protests continue and Wilson appears in his first TV interview since the shooting, and the full grand jury report broken down and made searchable – these are the key findings.
Phil Hughes
The cricket world has rallied round Phil Hughes after the Australia batsman was taken to hospital after being struck on the head by a cricket ball during a Sheffield Shield game.
Counselling has been offered to players from South Australia and NSW following the dangerous hit to the side of Hughes’ neck, which has left him fighting for his life after surgery.
Russell Jackson writes on the dangers that lurk for batsmen and the bravery and skill it takes to deal with fast bowling.
Australian news and politics
• Supporters of Baby Ferouz and other Australian-born babies of asylum seekers are waiting for Clive Palmer’s response in the hope they can get enough crossbench votes to block the government’s attempts to strip the children of visa rights.
• Four Foreign Correspondent producers have been sacked and journalists for Lateline and 7.30 have been placed in a redundancy pool from which managers must decide who to sack after a four-week skills audit.
• Victorian Labor has promised to set a separate emissions reduction target for the state, but will not commit to a national park that could save the Leadbeater’s possum.
• Australia’s largest banks are coming under pressure from environmental groups not to fund huge coal projects in central Queensland, amid accusations that the government is encouraging them to back the new mines.
Around the world
• Pope Francis has criticised the EU over its treatment of immigrants, saying, “We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast graveyard.”
• Tanzania’s president has promised never to evict the Masai people after an international outcry against plans to turn their ancestral home into a hunting ground for Arab royalty.
• Actor Shia LaBeouf is receiving addiction treatment after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct for disturbing a Broadway production of Cabaret.
More from around the web
• Among the most read on the Guardian this morning: the ten best places in the world to be a student – Sydney is number 4.
• The former Queensland Palmer United party leader warned Clive Palmer to reject Jacqui Lambie, Canberra Times reports.
• Tony Abbott has reassured nervous government MPs that he will knock “one or two of the barnacles off the ship” before Christmas, and urged discipline in the face of the ABC funding controversy and bad polling, the SMH reports.
• Two fork lift truck drivers have been videoed picking up and moving a parked car down a Sydney street to make room for a truck delivery, 9news reports.
One last thing
An Australian scientist submitted a bogus paper demanding removal from a “predatory” journal’s mailing list, and was rather surprised to see it accepted for publication.
Have an excellent day – and if you spot something I’ve missed, let me know in the comments here or on Twitter @newsmary.
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