Good afternoon. ANZ’s controversial acquisition of Suncorp’s banking arm will go ahead after a tribunal overturned the ACCC’s rejection of the proposed merger.
The Australian competition tribunal found the $4.9bn merger represented a “net public benefit”. The decision comes amid increased scrutiny over a lack of competition in several sectors, including banking. Australia’s big four banks control 72% of the industry and have been recording mammoth profits during the current cost of living crisis.
Another sector facing scrutiny is supermarkets, with the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, suggesting that some big chains should be sold off “to increase competition”. Anthony Albanese was also talking supermarkets today, expressing interest in the idea of a government-run supermarket with set prices for grocery staples.
Top news
Queensland police commissioner stands down | Katarina Carroll has announced she will step down early after years of increasing pressure over youth crime and the service’s response to domestic violence.
Officer charged over death of Aboriginal teen | Sgt Benedict Bryant has been charged over the death of Dunghutti teenager Jai Kalani Wright, who was killed when the trail bike he was riding collided with an unmarked police car in Sydney in 2022. Bryant will face charges of dangerous driving occasioning death and negligent driving occasioning death. Wright was 16 years old.
Public school advocates warn Labor against breaking funding promise | Public schools stand to lose billions of dollars if the federal government breaks an election promise to remove a loophole from funding agreements between the commonwealth and the states, advocates have argued. Data shows public schools have lost about $13bn in the six years since the Morrison government introduced a clause that allows states and territories to spend up to 4% of the total funding in the agreements on areas not directly related to schools.
Mankini-wearing equestrian cleared to continue Olympic preparations | Shane Rose, the Australian equestrian who caused a stir when he wore a mankini in competition, has been cleared by Equestrian Australia after apologising for the eye-opening stunt, while warning others about the pitfalls of wearing a G-string on horseback. The episode has forced the body into a rethink of its minimum dress standards.
Dead body found in charity clothing bin | Emergency services were called to a charity bin near Westfield Tuggerah on the New South Wales Central Coast at about 4.25am after a passerby saw legs hanging out of the chute, police said in a statement. The man had died at the scene. Guardian Australia understands the death is not being treated as suspicious at this stage but is rather thought to be a case of misadventure.
US urges Israel to drop plans for Rafah offensive | The US has proposed a UN security council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire and for Israel not to go ahead with a planned offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza. The draft text marks the first time the US has explicitly backed a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, though it adds that the temporary truce should be begun “as soon as practicable”, leaving some room for manoeuvre by the Israeli military.
Cape Town hit by ‘unimaginable’ stench from live export ship | A ship docked in the harbour carrying 19,000 live cattle from Brazil to Iraq has been blamed for sweeping the South African city with a foul stench. Animal welfare groups say the smell from the buildup of faeces and ammonia on the ship are indicative of the conditions animals endure.
Full Story
Why police are accused of radicalising an autistic teenager
When a lonely and impressionable teenager became fixated on Islamic State, police began an operation that ended up further radicalising him. At just 14, the boy was then charged with terrorism offences.
Courts and justice reporter Nino Bucci tells Patrick Keneally how and why police targeted the vulnerable teenager, and the questions the case raises about the authorities’ role in the deradicalisation process. Listen to this 22-minute episode.
What they said …
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“We still have unlimited and unmonitored alcohol consumption in Parliament House and in the workplace … People have had enough of politicians thinking there’s different standards that apply to them in Parliament House than what applies in other workplaces.” – Zali Steggall, independent MP
In numbers
The Albanese government has announced a major overhaul of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, saying it would more than double the number of warships, including the intention to acquire six new large optionally crewed surface vessels that can be operated remotely by a support vessel during wartime.
Before bed read
Japan is the only country in the world that requires spouses to use the same name, but after decades of inaction, appetite for change is building.
Couples in Japan are free to choose which surname to take when they marry, but in 95% of cases, it is the woman who changes her name, often with reluctance.
One woman said that having to change her last name “is ruining my career as the academic papers I’ve written under my maiden name are not being recognised”. Read the full story.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: BATH. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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