Good morning. The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, will today lay out a plan for the referendum on the Indigenous voice. Tributes have been paid to the five teenagers who died in a horrific crash in Sydney as police charged the driver of the car they were in. And the Albanese government has cancelled a grant to a foundation backed by the governor general.
The day after five teenagers lost their lives in a horror single-car crash in Buxton, about 100km south-west of Sydney, students, family and friends visited the site to pay tribute to those who died, with one describing what happened as “unfathomable”. The teenagers – aged 14 to 16 – died on Tuesday night in a ute allegedly driven by an 18-year-old who survived. The alleged driver has been charged by police.
A working group of First Nations leaders will “guide the big questions” about a referendum to enshrine a voice to parliament in the constitution, including the timing of the vote, the form of words and a public education campaign. The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, will use a speech on Thursday night to reveal three tasks for the group.
The Albanese government has axed a controversial $18m grant to a leadership foundation that the governor general, David Hurley, personally lobbied the Morrison government to back. Concerns were raised due to it being established with a one-off grant without a competitive tender.
Australia
Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
The former Coalition government staffer Rachelle Miller has criticised Labor and Liberal politicians for avoiding answering questions about the $650,000 payment she received for hurt and distress suffered while working in parliament, claiming both sides of politics were ducking responsibility.
A massive rain band moving across the country towards the east coast is threatening to bring severe thunderstorms, flash flooding and gusty winds in the coming days.
A 31,000-year-old skeleton missing its lower left leg, found in a remote Indonesian cave by Australian and Indonesian archaeologists, is believed to be the earliest known evidence of surgery, according to a study that experts say rewrites understanding of human history.
The Victorian government has failed to respond to formal recommendations that it consider legalising cannabis for personal use, improve conditions for homeless people and expand access to school buses, in a breach of state parliament’s rules.
An exotic species of bee parasite has been discovered in New South Wales, following the alleged illegal movement of beehives from Victoria.
Politicians, journalists and community leaders dressed to impress as the Midwinter Ball 2022 took over Parliament House for the first time since 2019.
The world
As Liz Truss begins work as the UK’s new prime minister, here’s a look at just how representative – or not – her new cabinet is of the country’s population.
Ukraine has launched a surprise counterattack in the north-east Kharkiv region, stretching Russian forces who are also facing Ukrainian attacks in the south.
China recorded its highest temperatures and one of its lowest levels of rainfall in 61 years during a two-month summer heatwave that caused forest fires, damaged crops and hit power supplies, the national meteorological agency said.
Spanish wildlife rangers have recovered the bodies of two brown bear cubs and their mother, who is thought to have been the same animal filmed three months ago sending a male bear tumbling to his death down a precipice after he attacked.
Recommended reads
Itchy, sneezy and wheezy? Less than 20% of allergic rhinitis sufferers who choose their own medication get it right. Here’s how to navigate what may be a high-pollen spring.
In work that may shock, Marri Ngarr artist Ryan Presley subverts centuries-old Christian art to interrogate the “daytime horrors” of Australia today. “I’m looking at the idea of value, and what’s cherished,” he tells Walter Marsh.
Listen
More than 1,200 people have died in the floods in Pakistan. The disaster has left around a third of the country under water. Guardian reporter Shah Meer Baloch has been reporting on the crisis and in today’s Full Story, he tells Nosheen Iqbal about the government response and why international efforts to help need to go further.
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
Nick Kyrgios has been left shattered after being knocked out of the US Open, saying he felt “mentally distraught”. “There really wasn’t anything in it,” he said. “I’m just devastated, obviously. I [just] feel like it was either winning it all or nothing at all, to be honest. I feel like I’ve just failed at this event right now. That’s what it feels like.”
Media roundup
More than 7,000 Chinese citizens have been granted $5m “golden ticket” visas, but in 10 years not a single applicant has been rejected under the test designed to exclude criminals, the Australian newspaper reports. Daniel Andrews is under intense scrutiny from key figures after he claimed issues with the trouble-plagued triple-zero system were not foreseeable, according to the Herald Sun. And the Daily Telegraph has details of the plan to transform NSW into a six-city state and create thousands of jobs and more cheap homes.
Coming up
Anthony Albanese will deliver a speech at the Committee for Economic Development of Australia.
The Senate will look to pass the government’s climate bill.
And if you’ve read this far …
Eruptions and a polar bear at play: Check out the amazing entries in this year’s Drone Photo Awards.
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