Good morning, this is Emilie Gramenz bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Tuesday 21 July.
Top stories
Hopes have been raised after researchers said Oxford University’s experimental coronavirus vaccine is safe and generated a strong immune response. Scientists were more than happy with the first results, which showed good immunity after a single dose of vaccine. The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, called the results “very positive news”, adding: “There are no guarantees, we’re not there yet and further trials will be necessary – but this is an important step in the right direction.” Trials of an experimental drug that is inhaled have also found a significant reduction in hospital patients with Covid-19 needing to be put on a ventilator or dying from the disease, researchers say.
The Morrison government will reduce the level of income support paid out under the jobkeeper and jobseeker payments from 28 September. It will create two payment tiers for the wage subsidy to ensure that the rate aligns more closely with people’s pre-Covid income, rather than giving part-timers and casuals a pay rise. The overhaul will be unveiled by Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg today before Thursday’s economic statement.
The Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association is calling for urgent mask-fitting for frontline staff and more transparency about the number of health workers who have been infected with Covid-19. Hundreds of health workers remain in quarantine due to exposure to the virus. The AMA also supports the idea of a national real-time database of healthcare worker infections overseen by an independent review panel. Yesterday Victoria identified 275 new cases, with 28 connected to known outbreaks and 247 still under investigation.
Australia
More than 100,000 older Australians are waiting for at-home care packages they have been approved for. Aged care groups are warning the stagnating waiting list could prematurely force some into residential facilities.
Nearly 50 Australian native species not now listed as threatened could be at risk as a result of the devastating bushfire season, according to a study drawing on the work of more than 20 leading scientists.
Newly released emails show that the Liberal MP Tim Wilson provided direct assistance to the Institute of Public Affairs and solicited endorsement for his looming 2016 preselection battle while in the office of human rights commissioner. Wilson told the Guardian the emails were “utterly irrelevant” and a “non-story”, saying his support of the IPA was publicly disclosed and well known.
Australia will begin granting international student visas again and allow students to count online study while overseas in a push to restart international education. The announcement was cautiously welcomed but caused confusion in the university sector.
The world
The alleged child abuser Malka Leifer could face extradition after a hearing in an Israeli court. It would be the culmination of a nearly six-year legal effort by former students to have her brought back to Australia.
Scientists have predicted for the first time when, where and how polar bears are likely to disappear. They warn that if greenhouse gas emissions stay on their current trajectory all but a few polar bear populations in the Arctic will probably be gone by 2100.
Donald Trump has said federal agents sent to confront protesters in Portland have “done a fantastic job” and could be deployed to other cities. The largest city in Oregon has been the site of more than 50 nights of protest over police brutality and systemic racism.
Amber Heard has told a London court she feared she would be killed by Johnny Depp, who was violent and abusive when high on drugs or alcohol. Depp denies ever hitting Heard, who has submitted details of 14 occasions during their relationship when she claims he assaulted her.
Recommended reads
The latest taxation statistics, released last week by the ATO, reveal just how skewed the political narrative is towards those on high incomes, Greg Jericho writes. They revealed that in 2017-18 the median taxable income for Australians was just $45,882 – and for women it was a mere $39,058.
It’s not too early for your stomach to rumble while reading about Australia’s slow embrace of regional Indian cuisine. Annie Hariharan writes: “Indian food, just like any cuisine, is influenced by climate, topography and agriculture, as well as centuries of trade … However, these intricate regional differences are rarely present in Australia’s Indian restaurants.”
The Los Angeles-based New Zealand musician Jess Cornelius delivered a baby and a record almost in tandem. On the eve of releasing her new single, Cornelius felt her waters break – with her baby arriving almost two weeks earlier than expected. Much of Cornelius’s forthcoming album, Distance, is about her coming to terms with the idea that life as a touring musician had made motherhood unlikely.
Listen
On Full Story today: who is Ghislaine Maxwell and does she hold the key to justice for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims? Maxwell, the daughter of the media baron Robert Maxwell, once attended parties with princes, presidents and celebrities. Now she faces up to 35 years in a US prison for her alleged involvement in Epstein’s sex trafficking of underage girls.
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
The AFL community is mourning the death of the former Richmond player Shane Tuck, aged 38. Tuck played 173 games for the Tigers before retiring in 2013 and was a life member of the club. He died on Monday morning.
Australian rugby faces further fracture as a New Zealand plan prompts a fight for survival. Rugby Australia hoped a trans-Tasman competition would involve five Australian sides, including the once exiled Western Force. But New Zealand’s revelation that it is planning to create an eight to 10 team competition, including a Pacific Islands franchise, does not add up to five Australian sides taking part.
Media roundup
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that targeted shutdowns, such as the closure of pubs and restaurants, are likely before any total lockdown in NSW. Australian shares are set to rise as promising vaccine and drug treatment news buoyed markets, reports the Australian Financial Review. And the Courier-Mail reports that the Palaszczuk government has sent Queensland’s powerful teachers’ union a proposal to scrap the controversial Naplan test and grant extra holidays.
Coming up
Malka Leifer’s extradition hearing continues in a Jerusalem court.
A parliamentary inquiry into temporary migration will hear from the fair work ombudsman and the Attorney General’s Department.
And if you’ve read this far …
Women are reclaiming their natural facial hair – and dismantling Eurocentric beauty standards at the same time. Taking a cue from the late artist Frida Kahlo and the Bollywood superstar Kajol, a new generation, including the New York-based model Shari Siadat, are dropping the tweezers and embracing the unibrow.
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