Morning everyone. Our starting point today is the Guardian itself and an apology by its owner, the Scott Trust, for our founders’ links to transatlantic slavery. This stems from our long investigation into the paper’s origins in Manchester more than 200 years ago and its funding by businessmen who profited from slavery. It has spawned not only an apology but also a pledge to invest in a decade-long program of restorative justice as we reckon with the past and explore the legacy of slavery and how it has shaped our world.
We also have a full roster of other news stories, including a study that has exposed growing poverty in New South Wales, a report on an unfolding environmental tragedy in the Northern Territory, and the latest on protests in France and Israel.
Australia
Ranges risk | Bushfires west of Alice Springs have burnt through 20% of the Tjoritja/West MacDonnell national park in what conservationists say is an environmental “tragedy” that could threaten already endangered species such as the central rock rat.
Poverty trap | One million people – including one in seven children – are living below the poverty line in New South Wales, according to a new study of census data, with an extra 100,000 people slipping into the category since 2016.
Exclusive | Australians’ growing love of SUVs means they are needlessly spending an extra $13bn a year to fuel their cars, sending transport emissions into overdrive. The Australia Institute says the nation’s vehicle fleet is 24% less efficient than the UK’s thanks to the love of “big, dumb cars”.
Voice concern | The government and eSafety commissioner are urging social media platforms to stamp out misinformation and hate speech during the Indigenous voice campaign amid fears that abuse could flare.
NSW election | With a Labor majority in Macquarie Street looking increasingly unlikely in the final counting of votes, NSW Liberals are turning to consider where the party goes from here and whether a moderate or rightwinger should lead them into a new era.
World
‘Risk to public order’ | Hundreds of thousands have again taken to the streets of France to protest about planned pension reforms, with concerns rising that the demonstrations could turn violent.
Royal surveillance | Prince Harry claims members of the royal family struck a secret deal with Murdoch newspapers not to sue them over phone hacking. Also, in court documents, he alleges the Daily Mail targeted him through voicemail interception, tapping of landline phones, and inappropriately obtaining credit card records.
Israel crisis | Israel’s political storm has deepened with questions over whether the defence minister fired by Benjamin Netanyahu is refusing to step down and doubts about the prime minister’s authority and misreading of the public backlash against his judicial reforms.
‘Forever war’ | Analysts are warning that Vladimir Putin is preparing the Russian people for a “forever war” against Ukraine and the west as he seeks to recast the conflict as one for national survival.
Belt and braces | China spent $240bn bailing out countries such as Argentina, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Ukraine that have struggled with debts under Beijing’s huge belt and road initiative between 2008 and 2021, new data shows.
Full Story
Aston byelection: Dutton’s high-stakes battle in suburban Melbourne
Our chief political correspondent, Paul Karp, discusses the battle for Aston, a usually safe Liberal seat in eastern Melbourne. He explains what it could mean for Peter Dutton if Roshena Campbell (pictured) is defeated, and how people in the area are thinking about their vote.
In-depth
Ole Jacob Sunde, the chair of the Scott Trust, has apologised for the role of the Guardian’s founder John Edward Taylor, and his backers in the slave trade in what the media group says will be “only the first step in addressing the Guardian’s historical links to slavery”. The apology follows a two-year investigation by leading academics such as David Olusoga (pictured), who writes today about “the illusion at the centre of British history that conceals the role of slavery in building the nation”. This is what the research found and what happens next as we launch a series called Cotton Capital, which also identifies more than 300 people enslaved on plantations connected to the Guardian’s founders. And finally, as well as investing in restorative justice schemes in the US, Jamaica, the UK and elsewhere, our editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, hopes that this reckoning with our past will also inspire other institutions to do the same.
Not the news
After spending her young adult life buying trendy clothes she quickly disliked and dispensed with, Guardian Australia audio producer Karishma Luthria (pictured) realised she was at war with her wardrobe. To fix it, she needed to develop a more personal sense of style. She explains how she did it.
The world of sport
Football | Australia lost 2-1 to Ecuador in their second game this week against the tough South Americans, although the friendly in Melbourne was anything but, with the visitors’ Moisés Caicedo lucky to escape a red card.
Concession | The AFL has acknowledged the link between head trauma and the serious neurodegenerative disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), ahead of its appearance at a Senate committee hearing next month.
Formula One | Australian Grand Prix chief Andrew Westacott says this weekend’s race could be Melbourne’s “fastest ever” as home hope Oscar Piastri makes his debut.
Media roundup
The Australian has figures that suggest we have begun a two-year surge in migration that could be the biggest in our nation’s history. The Newcastle Herald says Eraring power station, the country’s biggest, will close sooner rather than later as it moves into new ownership. Oscar Piastri will make history this weekend when he becomes the first Melburnian to compete in the city’s F1 Grand Prix, writes the Herald Sun.
What’s happening today
Economy | The ABS releases inflation figures for February. The headline rate is expected to ease to 7.1% from 7.4%.
New South Wales| The new premier, Chris Minns, will visit Menindee to hear local concerns about the mass fish kill.
Western Australia | Four people face court in Perth for the murder of Indigenous teenager Cassius Turvey.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
