Good afternoon. It’s good to be back in the saddle after a month off and straight back into the news, starting with the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial.
His legal team has flagged “lengthy” cross-examinations of Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson, while Network 10 lawyers will seek to use evidence on the rarity of false rape complaints. The highly anticipated trial is expected to begin on 22 November in the federal court, and will see both Higgins and Lehrmann give evidence.
Meanwhile, new research shows almost one-third of mortgage holders are facing mortgage stress – worse than at the height of the global financial crisis in 2008.
Top news
Qantas’s Alan Joyce grilled at Senate inquiry | The airline’s outgoing boss faced fiery questioning over flight scheduling, pandemic-era flight credits, and profits and executive bonuses, while Jetstar revealed $100m in flight credits remain unclaimed.
Danny Zayat charged with murdering ex-partner | The former partner of Tatiana Dokhotaru, 34, has been charged three months after she was found dead in her apartment in Sydney’s south-west. Zayat was found with her body and was later charged with 22 domestic violence-related offences. The 28-year-old was refused bail ahead of a court appearance in Penrith.
Extra funding needed for public schools | A new report by the Centre For Future Work says an additional $6.6bn a year is needed for public schools to meet the schooling resource standard (SRS) agreed to a decade ago under the Gonski reforms. The Greens have called for cuts to private school funding to fund public education.
NT launches investigation into US aircraft crash | Northern Territory police will remain at the scene of the fatal US military aircraft crash on Melville Island for “at least 10 days” as part an extensive investigation. Speaking from Perth, Anthony Albanese expressed condolences to the families of the three US marines who perished in the crash.
Murray cod virtually disappears from NSW’s Lower Darling | Numbers of the native fish – classified as a vulnerable species – were “substantially lower” when compared with preceding years, pointing to an environmental crisis following 2019 and 2023 fish kills in that part of the river.
Fortescue CEO leaves after six months in job | Fiona Hick is leaving the iron ore miner just six months after taking on the top role, the latest in a wave of high-level resignations. The abrupt departure was announced shortly before the company delivered its weakest annual profit in three years, dropping 23%.
Australia’s record medal haul at athletics championships | Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers have claimed silver and bronze in an emotion-charged women’s high jump in Budapest, lifting Australia to a best-ever medal haul of six at a world athletics championships.
Outrage in China after Japan releases Fukushima water | Japan has urged its citizens in China to avoid using their native tongue in loud voices, while its companies have received a wave of abusive calls amid a rise in anti-Japanese sentiment sparked by the controversial discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Beijing has called the decision to release the water “selfish” and harmful to the environment and human health.
Zimbabwean opposition says election ‘gigantic fraud’ | Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has called for solidarity from regional partners against a vote that returned Emmerson Mnangagwa to power for a second term. The South African Development Committee election observer mission said in a report on Friday that the polls fell short of “the requirement of the constitution of Zimbabwe”.
Full Story
Will Anthony Albanese’s new plan reduce your rent?
Earlier this month the national cabinet unveiled a new plan to fix the rental crisis, which the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, calls “a better deal for renters”. The Greens have labelled it “smoke and mirrors” – what will this plan do for renters? Listen to this 15-minute episode.
What they said …
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“White supremacy has no place in America.” – Joe Biden
The US president spoke after three people were killed in a racist shooting in Florida.
In numbers
Australians continue to feel the pinch of the Reserve Bank’s year of steep rate hikes, with 640,000 more households at risk of mortgage stress compared with the same period in 2022.
Before bed read
What happens when one person in a couple transitions?
Two deeply personal plays at Brisbane festival explore what it can be like to come out as trans in a relationship – when “plenty have broken because of it”, says one playwright.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: ECU. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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