Good morning. Leaked chats show a US neo-Nazi charged with conspiring to attack a Maryland power grid appears to have been active on an Australian far-right channel on Telegram. Brandon Russell is the founder of Atomwaffen Division, proscribed last year by the Australian government as a terrorist organisation, and was convicted of possessing bomb-making materials in 2018.
Meanwhile, Australian universities are divided over AI cheating software, a company is under investigation for advertising cannabis vapes in Australia, and fighting in Sudan has continued despite a proposed ceasefire.
Australia
Far-right | Brandon Russell posted extreme right propaganda and interacted with known Australian neo-Nazis before he was charged over an alleged conspiracy to use sniper attacks to disable Baltimore’s electricity grid, leaked chat logs seen by the Guardian show.
Foreign policy | In a speech today, Penny Wong will dismiss Paul Keating’s claim that the military has taken over foreign policy in Australia, as she insists the defence department and diplomats are working together to “keep the peace”.
University cheating | Universities are split on whether to adopt a new tool which claims to detect AI-generated plagiarism with a near-perfect success rate.
Vape ads | A company advertising brightly packaged Hubba Bubba-flavoured cannabis vape products to Australians through sponsored TikTok posts is being investigated by the drug regulator.
Record scams | Australians lost a record amount of more than $3.1bn to scams in 2022, up from the $2bn in 2021, a new report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says.
World
Sudan | Sudan experienced a second day of heavy fighting, with reports of gunfire and military jets over the capital, Khartoum, despite a four-hour UN-proposed humanitarian ceasefire between the two main factions of the ruling military regime.
India | A former Indian MP convicted of kidnapping and facing murder and assault charges was murdered along with his brother in a dramatic shooting broadcast live on TV.
Pentagon leaks | China would probably establish air superiority rapidly in any attack on Taiwan, according to leaked US intelligence assessments that raised disturbing questions about the self-ruled island’s military readiness.
US mass shooting | Four people, most of them reportedly teenagers, were killed in a shooting in east Alabama at a dance studio during a teenager’s birthday party and multiple people were left injured.
E-cigarettes | Some vapes sold on British high streets that claim to be nicotine-free actually contain the same level of addictive substances as full-strength e-cigarettes, tests shows.
Full Story
Why is it hard to legalise cannabis in Australia?
Uruguay, Canada and a number of US states have moved to legalise recreational cannabis. But seven years after medicinal cannabis became legal in Australia, the Greens are still trying to get laws on recreational use relaxed. Political reporter Amy Remeikis tells Jane Lee why the politics and the legal system are at odds with social attitudes.
In-depth
Frustrated by automated HR that was threatening to fire him for “fraud”, an Uber driver in Britain took the ride-sharing app all the way to the court of appeal in Amsterdam, arguing that he and other drivers had the right to more information about the way automated decisions were made about them. Now, Alexandru Iftimie hopes Uber’s acknowledgement of its mistake might set a precedent for how multinational companies reliant on automation manage their workers.
Not the news
About one in seven Australian adults take antidepressants, the second-highest rate of all OECD countries. But while there exist hundreds of studies about starting the drugs, there are only a handful about coming off them. Beth Gibson reports that withdrawal effects are more common, severe and long-lasting than was previously presented – and explores how experts say that should be addressed.
The world of sport
AFL | Thirty years after Nicky Winmar’s famous stand against racism, Collingwood formally apologised to the St Kilda champion and his teammate Gilbert McAdam for the abuse directed at them.
Premier League | Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 2-0; West Ham drew with Arsenal 2-2.
Rugby Australia | Australia’s Rugby World Cup hopefuls are bracing for an “intense” first Wallabies training camp under no-nonsense new coach Eddie Jones.
Media roundup
The Australian reports that the defence department is blaming a braking fault for its reluctance to supply war-torn Ukraine with Australian-made Hawkei four-wheel drives. Melbourne has overtaken Sydney as Australia’s biggest city after a boundary change, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
What’s happening today
Foreign interference | Alexander Csergo, 55, will face court charged with reckless foreign interference. The AFP claims that he compiled a number of reports for people who allegedly work for a foreign intelligence service.
Voice to parliament | The joint select committee on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice referendum will report on the provisions of the proposed amendment.
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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.
