Good morning. Outsourced call centre staff on the NDIS phone lines say they are told to pretend they work for the government rather than British multinational Serco – as our investigation into the government’s use of private call centres continues.
US officials are facing pressure to fully investigate the killing of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis, as footage contradicts the Trump administration’s account of the incident.
And: Alex de Minaur beat Alexander Bublik to storm into the Australian Open quarter-finals, where he will face world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
Australia
Honours revealed | Beloved Olympic sprinter Cathy Freeman has been recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours list alongside a world-leading quantum scientist, a children’s book illustrator, and the enforcer of the world-first social media ban. Astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg has been named 2026 Australian of the Year.
‘Outsourcing its duty of care’ | Private call centre staff at the NDIS have to pretend to work for the government, workers claim – with the contractors also given email addresses identical to those of public servants.
Piper James | The dingo pack linked to the death of a 19-year-old Canadian tourist on the island of K’gari are being euthanised, officials have confirmed – but traditional owners say they were not consulted.
‘A devastating loss’ | The Lake Cargelligo shootings were over in just minutes, Nino Bucci writes, but the effects will echo through generations in the small NSW town. The suspect remains on the run.
Opinion | As Australia stops to celebrate itself today, some will be preoccupied with their country’s ever-deeper subservience to another more powerful empire: Trump’s America, Paul Daley writes.
World
Minnesota ICE shooting | Calls mount on US officials to fully investigate Alex Pretti’s killing during protest against immigration crackdown; witnesses have testified that Pretti was not brandishing a gun when he was shot by ICE agents; Minneapolis residents, angry and anxious, resolve to fight back; the terror in Minneapolis is reminiscent of civil war, David Smith writes.
Iranian protests | Amid a wave of protests that have been violently crushed by the regime, the son of Iran’s president is urging authorities to end the blackout and restore internet in the country.
Tariffs spat | Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, says his country has no intention of pursuing a free trade deal with China, after Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 100% tariff if it did so.
Russia-Ukraine war | Ukraine and Russia have agreed to hold a second round of US-brokered direct peace talks next weekend, despite Russia’s deadly barrage targeting Kyiv and Kharkiv.
Myanmar votes | Voting in Myanmar has ended with the military-backed party expected to win a landslide victory after a month-long election that has been widely derided as a sham.
Full Story
A nation of rich cowards? Ben Quilty on why we need our artists
After the cancellation of Adelaide writers’ week in a furore over free speech, conversations are being had about how much Australia values its writers and artists. The renowned painter Ben Quilty asks that question in a new essay exploring how to be a more courageous country when it comes to the arts. He speaks with Reged Ahmad about why we need a society that encourages visionaries.
In-depth
In November, a regional NSW council voted to remove the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from inside council chambers and exclusively fly the Australian flag on all flagpoles in its shire. The Corowa mayor says the proposal was intended to unite the town as a “single, cohesive community under one sovereign emblem” – but, as Douglas Smith discovers, traditional owners say it erases their past.
Not the news
Has a doorbell camera caught sight of a cougar? Is that blurry image a coyote with mange? In the latest in our Internet wormhole series, Dierdre Fidge lifts the veil on an oddly thrilling subreddit where curious users share photos of unfamiliar wildlife for others to identify. For Fidge it is the haziest trailcam screenshots that make her sit bolt upright.
Sport
Tennis | Home hope Alex de Minaur destroyed Alexander Bublik at the Australian Open to set up an Alcaraz showdown; Carlos Alcaraz overcame a spirited Tommy Paul to reach the quarter-finals; Iva Jovic is walking in Venus Williams’ footsteps with a Melbourne quarter-final date.
Cricket | Perth Scorchers eased to a sixth Big Bash League title after skittling Sydney Sixers for 132 in the final.
Football | Premier League leaders Arsenal have lost to a reinvigorated Manchester United; Endo Fernández helped Chelsea into the top four in a win against a 10-man Crystal Palace; Emiliano Buendía and Ollie Watkins stunned Newcastle to keep Aston Villa’s title hopes alive.
Cycling | Australian cyclist Jay Vine recovered from a kangaroo crash to win the Tour Down Under for a second time.
AFL | Sydney Swans player Taylor Adams was knocked unconscious in an incident outside a popular venue.
Media roundup
Experts are warning of the risks of discrimination in hiring as AI vetting rejects job hunters in record time, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Residents in a remote Northern Territory town are “too scared to leave their homes” due to rampaging feral camels, the NT News reports.
What’s happening today
Nationwide | Invasion Day events and rallies are taking place in communities across Australia.
Sport | The Australian Open tennis grand slam continues in Melbourne.
NSW | An inquest into the death of a teen pilot who crashed his plane in his first solo flight is taking place in Lidcombe.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
