Good morning. Cop26 is in its second week but, despite optimistic talk, new analysis of pledges paint a far more grim picture of our future.
The NBN has ended up costing almost as much as the estimated cost of a full-fibre plan. The technology in the Coalition’s cut-down version cost up to three times more than forecast and was closer to the initial estimated cost of a revised version of Labor’s full-fibre plan, according to figures the government has sought to keep secret for almost a decade. Redacted figures, obtained by Guardian Australia, show NBN Co estimated the cost of using the hybrid fibre-coaxial was between $800 and $850 a premises and fibre-to-the-node was $600 to $650 a premises. In reality, as NBN Co encountered upgrade issues with both types of technology, pushing the average costs to $2,752 and $2,330 respectively.
Temperature rises will top 2.4C by the end of this century, based on the short-term goals countries have set out during Cop26, according to research by Climate Action Tracker. The findings should serve as a “reality check” to the talks, said Niklas Höhne, one of the authors. “Long-term intentions are good, but their short-term implementation is inadequate,” he said. Bill Hare, the chief executive of Climate Analytics said: “We are concerned that some countries are trying to portray [Cop26] as if the 1.5C limit is nearly in the bag. But it’s not, it’s very far from it.” Australia is doing little to help, with the government’s policy response to the climate crisis ranked last out of 60 countries, and an overall ranking of 54.
Oil and gas companies are extending their advertising presence in sport, raising concern from athletes. Former Wallabies captain David Pocock says it has been “difficult to watch” a sponsorship deal emerge between fossil fuel giant Santos and the Wallabies. “I really think fossil fuel sponsorship is the new cigarette sponsorship, where they are advertising a product that we now know is destroying our home planet and our futures,” he said.
Australia
NDIS providers used unauthorised restraints on clients more than 1m times in 2020-21. There are now calls for an investigation after the figures detailed a 240% increase in methods including sedating or strapping down a person, or depriving them of their belongings.
Covid cases in NSW continue to decrease, despite predictions that “freedom day” could prompt up to 1,900 daily cases. But why has this been the case? Health experts name five key reasons why NSW has managed to keep case numbers so low, including underestimating the effectiveness of the vaccine and maintaining health measures.
The Morrison government will invest $500m into a new $1bn fund to help commercialise low-emissions technology, including carbon capture and storage and soil carbon.
The world
The EU has condemned the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, for acting like a “gangster”. His government has been been accused of sending refugees to the EU’s external border to punish the bloc for criticism of his crackdown on dissent.
Ireland has begun making contingency plans for a possible trade war between the EU and the UK in the event that Boris Johnson walks away from the Northern Ireland Brexit protocol.
An economic meltdown is putting pressure on the Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, as record inflation causes unrest and pushes the price of sugar higher than petrol.
Chile’s President Sebastián Piñera has been impeached by the lower house of congress after the Pandora papers revealed new details of a controversial deal to sell his family’s stake in the Dominga mining project.
Recommended reads
When is it OK to complain about a meal or send it back to the kitchen when dining out? And how can you do it nicely? After a salty experience at one of her regular cafes, Nadine von Cohen wanted to know more about the etiquette on this age-old conundrum, so she asked the people in the know. Chefs, waiters and hospitality professionals share their opinions on how to send food back, and when it’s appropriate to do so. “We can’t really take food back just because you don’t like it,” says a cafe manager, Lynsey Martin.
South Korean horror drama Squid Game has quickly become Netflix’s most-watched series. For those who haven’t seen it, the premise is simple: a group of contestants on the poverty line are pitted against each other in a series of deadly games, all for the entertainment of the super-rich. At its core – and partly why it’s so compelling – is the class struggle. But long before the Korean hit, the rich were using the poor for blood sport in action classics like Surviving the Game and the Australian cult horror Turkey Shoot.
Listen
In 2019, a 29-year-old Yamatji woman – known as JC – was homeless, suffering from poor mental health and walking through Geraldton holding a kitchen knife, when the police were called. Sixteen seconds after a police officer began to approach her, she was shot and later died. Last month a jury found the officer not guilty of both murder and manslaughter. In today’s Full Story, Laura Murphy-Oates speaks to ABC reporter Rebecca Trigger and Noongar human rights lawyer Hannah McGlade about the life of JC, and what happened in those 16 seconds.
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Ranging in age from eight to 87, Scrabblers hit the boards in western Sydney this year vying for national supremacy. Sport editor Mike Hytner recommends this match report on a competitive board game with mind-bending wordplay for today’s Australia Reads podcast.
Listen to the best of Guardian Australia’s journalism on Australia Reads podcast on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
An unnamed Carlton AFL player is refusing to have his Covid-19 vaccinations before the club’s pre-season training. It is understood he is the only Blue who hasn’t agreed to be vaccinated and is the first AFL player to refuse the jabs.
Media roundup
Cracks in Sydney’s inner west trams are so extensive they have been seen to open and close on straight stretches of the network, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. A 21-year-old woman at the centre of the Northern Territory’s lockdown has told the NT News she is “livid” that a social media post by the chief minister incorrectly labelled her as a sex worker. And the Victorian crossbench MP Andy Meddick has revealed the extent of abuse his office has been subjected to after receiving threats that his family would be “exposed to snipers and kidnappers” if he voted in support of a proposed pandemic bill next week.
Coming up
The housing affordability inquiry will hear from community and Indigenous housing associations.
Victoria will announce its Australian of the year.
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