Good morning, this is Emilie Gramenz bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Wednesday 17 June.
Top stories
Pauline Hanson charged taxpayers $3,700 for a three-night trip to Perth where she held intimate dinners for high-paying One Nation donors and a “fish and chip” fundraiser that drew the support of far-right extremists. In October 2018, Hanson had taxpayers pick up the bill for flights to and from Perth, as well as three days of travel allowance, where she hosted multiple One Nation fundraisers. Politicians are not allowed to charge taxpayers for travel if the dominant purpose is party fundraising. A spokesman for Hanson told Guardian Australia she only ever “makes interstate trips for the purpose of her parliamentary duties”, but declined to answer multiple questions about the nature of Hanson’s parliamentary business during the trip.
A cheap steroid has become the first life-saving treatment in the Covid-19 pandemic, described by scientists as “a major breakthrough” and raising hopes for the survival of thousands of the most seriously ill people. Dexamethasone is available from any pharmacy, and easily obtainable anywhere in the world. The UK government announced immediate approval for the use of the drug in Covid-19 patients after investigators said it was responsible for the survival of one in eight of the sickest patients in the biggest randomised, controlled trial of coronavirus treatments in the world. Meanwhile, dozens more cases have emerged in an outbreak in Beijing, which authorities have described as “extremely severe”. The UN is warning the coronavirus crisis is pushing tens of millions of people in Central and South America and the Caribbean into food insecurity.
Labor’s national executive has appointed Steve Bracks and Jenny Macklin as administrators of the Victorian branch, and has suspended all state committees, as the party continues to grapple with the damaging fallout of a branch-stacking scandal. The extraordinary federal-led intervention follows 48 hours of internal jockeying after the Nine Network reported that Adem Somyurek, the disgraced rightwing state powerbroker, orchestrated the payment of party memberships in a mass branch-stacking operation in Victoria. Voting rights in the Victorian branch are expected to be suspended until at least 2023.
Australia
A whistleblower who wants to expose claims of neglect and abuse in a supported boarding house says they cannot give evidence at the royal commission because it is unable to protect their identity. The Morrison government has been under pressure to introduce similar laws to those used for the child sexual abuse royal commission, which would permanently seal confidential submissions.
Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Marise Payne, has accused China of spreading disinformation that “contributes to a climate of fear and division”. Payne used a major foreign policy address in Canberra on Tuesday to declare Canberra would take a more active role in global bodies.
Senator Jacqui Lambie and the Greens have lashed out at a government bill reimposing weaker federal laws on donations. They warn that it will allow developer donations, which are banned under stricter state regimes.
The world
Twenty members of India’s armed forces have been killed in a “violent face-off” with Chinese soldiers on their disputed Himalayan border. The deaths are the first loss of life in the border area in at least 45 years, and come amid a renewed dispute between the two countries.
Donald Trump has signed an executive order on police reform that would, among other things, incentivise police departments to ban chokeholds except when an officer’s life is at risk. Critics have said it’s a “woeful” attempt at reform that fails to address systemic racism and falls far short of the demands of Black Lives Matter activists.
New Zealand has recorded its first new cases of Covid-19 for 24 days after two women who arrived in the country from Britain were found to be infected. The country declared itself coronavirus-free just a week ago. Outbreaks in both New Zealand and Beijing this week have brought home the stark choices facing leaders who have successfully stamped out the virus or contained its transmission. If they want to hold on to that coveted status, their countries face months, perhaps years, sealed off from the world in a way unprecedented in modern times.
Recommended reads
Jeff Sparrow writes that culture warriors obsessed with statues ignore Rio Tinto’s vandalism of Indigenous heritage. He argues the destruction of statues and removal of content from streaming platforms distracts from the fact that Rio Tinto dynamited the Juukan rock shelters in Western Austraia, destroying, in a few minutes, a site of human occupation dating back more than 40,000 years. “In a hundred years, when no one remembers whether or not Jonah from Tonga could be downloaded from the ABC, the destruction of the rock shelters will remain an unhealed wound.”
Studio Ghibli’s first non-Japanese film is “crushingly beautiful and relevant”. The Red Turtle, released in 2017 and streaming on SBS On Demand, is Studio Ghibli’s first film by a non-Japanese director and made without Japanese artists since the studio was founded in 1985. The dialogue-free fable traces milestones in the life of a nameless sailor marooned on a tropical island, whose every escape attempt is thwarted by a huge enigmatic red turtle.
Josh Taylor examines how Facebook’s artificial intelligence technology struggles to detect misinformation. The AI is used to moderate nudity and sexual activity on the platform, but has problems with historical photos – as highlighted when a user was suspended for posting an 1890s image of Aboriginal men in chains in response to the Australian prime minister’s claim (subsequently backtracked) that Australia didn’t have a history of slavery. AI issues also complicate moderating hate speech, misinformation and other content.
And here’s a collection of simple kitchen swaps to cut down on single-use items. Lindsay Miles outlines some less wasteful options that can be done with little effort.
Listen
Today’s episode of Full Story examines whether, after 13 years, the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been solved. The disappearance of a three-year-old British girl at a Portuguese holiday resort in 2007 quickly became global news as the hunt for her grew ever more extensive. Thirteen years later, German police revealed they had a new prime suspect. Is there now a conclusion in sight?
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
Cricket Australia is seeking a new direction after the exit of Kevin Roberts. He departed as CA’s chief executive this week, having lost the confidence of the board, the states, the players and staff over his handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Media roundup
The ABC reports the coronavirus pandemic has left hundreds of medical practices on verge of collapse. In the West Australian, WA’s Tourism Council is urging the premier, Mark McGowan, to set a date to reopen borders. Crikey is examining if the national curriculum needs to be more explicit about Australia’s dark past. And the Daily Telegraph has a Newcastle Knights scoop: Kalyn Ponga has signed a long-term deal with the NRL club.
Coming up
The tourism minister, Simon Birmingham, will urge domestic travel in a National Press Club address today.
Both houses of federal parliament are sitting in Canberra.
And if you’ve read this far …
“Let me tell you something more about my miserable life,” says Usman Khalid, with a miserable face. Then he pauses, and twinkles: “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?” A UK comedy collection called No Direction Home is bucking stereotypes about refugees and migrants and thriving online during lockdown.
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