Good afternoon. A sombre day with the passing of music legend Sinéad O’Connor at the age of 56. Tributes have poured in, including from Russell Crowe, who recalled meeting her in Dublin and talking about many issues, including “the ongoing fight for Indigenous recognition in many places, but particularly in Australia”.
“What an amazing woman,” he said.
Read this moving piece on O’Connor’s struggles with mental health and view this photo gallery of her life.
Top news
Sydney gang war | New South Wales police have set up a new taskforce to crack down on gang violence after another shooting today – the fifth this week alone. A man died after an allegedly targeted homicide in Canterbury in Sydney’s south-east overnight.
Damning Victorian Ibac findings | Two former Victorian Labor MPs and two councillors received money and donations from a property developer to further the developer’s goals, the anti-corruption watchdog has found. The premier, Daniel Andrews, jumped on the findings to push for limiting the role of local councils in planning decisions. The Victorian government is considering sidelining local councils in an anticipated overhaul of planning and housing laws.
Tim Mathieson to plead guilty to sexual assault | Mathieson, a former partner of Julia Gillard, is facing one charge of sexual assault and appeared remotely in the Melbourne magistrates court.
Australia’s military spending spree | The federal government will spend up to $7bn for a South Korean defence contractor to build 129 infantry fighter vehicles. The spend comes on top of a separate $10bn deal inked Monday for new 20 Hercules planes to be provided by the US.
Mitch McConnell freezes on camera | The Senate Republican leader appeared to lose his train of thought and stared for 20 seconds before being escorted away during a press conference. The 81-year-old later returned and answered questions from the press. Asked about what happened, McConnell said he was “fine”. He did not elaborate. Watch the one-minute video.
US family found dead in forest | A family that wanted to live off the grid have been found dead. Authorities discovered the bodies of sisters Christine Vance, 41, and Rebecca Vance, 42, as well as Rebecca’s 14-year-old son in the Gunnison National Forest about 9 miles (14.5km) from Ohio City, Colorado. A relative said the sisters did not have survival experience and had only done research online and watched YouTube videos on the subject.
Niger coup | Soldiers in Niger say they have removed the president, Mohamed Bazoum, from power, after armed troops earlier blockaded the presidential palace in Niamey, the capital of one of the world’s most unstable nations. The US reiterated its support for Bazoum.
Emmanuel Macron in Vanuatu | The French president denounced “new imperialism” in the Pacific amid growing competition between China and the US, during a landmark visit to Vanuatu. It’s the first visit by a sitting French leader to an independent Pacific state. He is on a five-day visit to the region, which has also included a stop in New Caledonia and will continue in Papua New Guinea.
Meta’s revenue rise | Meta’s stock surged 7% on the back of an 11% – or $32bn (A$47bn) –reported rise in revenue. It marks Meta’s most profitable quarter since 2021 due in part to a big growth in revenue from the company’s short-form video product, Reels.
In video
As part of our new Cost of Eating series, I looked into whether supermarkets were deliberately raising prices and spoke with Andrew Leigh, the assistant minister of competition, to see what, if anything, the government is doing about it. Watch the six-minute video.
What they said …
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“I do hold the view that the luckiest thing that happened to this country was being colonised by the British.” – John Howard
In numbers
Have you also noticed “shrinkflation” at the supermarket? Let us know.
Before bed read
Joanna Pocock took a bus trip from Detroit to Los Angeles – what she saw in between was a broken, yet still beautiful America.
“What I found on this trip was a changed landscape: gone are the small, clean, cheap motels in the centre of cities, gone are public spaces where anyone can find a water fountain, a bathroom, a place to nurse a cheap cup of coffee and human company. And yet the camaraderie on the Greyhound is just about hanging on – but I wonder for how long?”
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: AGON. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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