Want to get this in your inbox every weekday? Sign up for the Morning Mail here, and finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter Good morning. Letters sent by the Australian Taxation Office are causing alarm, with recipients told they have an “on hold” tax debts that may be decades old and will be taken from future refunds. But recipients say some of the debts are from periods so long ago that they are now near impossible to contest. As the temporary ceasefire in Gaza continues to hold, Israel has released more Palestinians from its prisons after another group of hostages – including Israelis and foreign nationals – were freed by Hamas. But some former hostages face a fresh horror: finding out their loved ones were killed in the 7 October attack. Found out more in our latest live blog. David McBride | In an affidavit obtained by Guardian Australia, the “war crimes whistleblower” and former military lawyer says he released information to the media because the Australian defence force “wasn’t going to fix itself”. ‘It’s a threat’ | Thousands of Australians have been told they have “on hold” tax debts that may be decades old and will be taken from future refunds. Operation Aegis | The Albanese government has committed $255m for security agencies to monitor people previously held in indefinite detention. Public health | A new report says Australia urgently needs a policy reset to drive an adult vaccination plan for illnesses including Covid-19, influenza and shingles, amid lagging rates for jabs and rising misinformation. Education examined | Researchers claim an overhaul of Australia’s curriculum is needed to reverse a long-term decline, with the current curriculum lacking in depth of learning and not based on leading research. Continue reading...

An off-the-cuff suggestion on social media inspired Georgia Godwin to devise and execute a complex never-seen-before move The notification popped up in the Instagram account of Georgia Godwin, Australia’s best gymnast. The comment from a follower midway through last year, on a video of her completing the difficult “Weiler” move on the uneven bars, made her think – why not add an extra rotation? That thought, and hundreds of hours in the gym, has led the Queensland athlete to a place in the official rule book of world gymnastics. The “Godwin” was ratified this week, meaning it is now an official building block for routines on the uneven bar. Judges will mark it, and other gymnasts will aspire to it. Continue reading...

Coalition MP says he has spent ‘an awful lot of time’ researching topic, and official theory that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone is ‘implausible’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast ‘Conspiracies are just theories … not fact’: the Secret Service agent haunted by JFK’s shooting The former deputy prime minister and Coalition frontbencher Barnaby Joyce claims the official narrative of the assassination of US president John F Kennedy 60 years ago “doesn’t stack up”, saying he didn’t believe the findings of the Warren commission that only one shooter, Lee Harvey Oswald, was involved and acted alone. The member for New England said he had devoted “an awful lot of time” to researching the incident, saying his own experience using firearms led him to believe that a rifle shot from the book depository – the official conclusion of the 1964 report into Kennedy’s death – was “implausible”. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Microsoft’s Bing falls victim to long-running part-joke internet conspiracy theory Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Australia doesn’t exist. That’s at least according to Bing search results for some users on Wednesday when the Microsoft search engine cited long-running internet conspiracy theories denying the existence of the country. Several very real Australian users on Bluesky and Mastodon reported that when they searched for “does Australia exist” on Bing, it would come back with an emphatic “No” written in a text box before the link results. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Liberal and National parties agree to more ambitious interim target joining Greens who have criticised Labor for ‘abandoning’ 2035 goal Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast New South Wales Labor is being pushed to legislate a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 70% by 2035 with the opposition and crossbench working together on amendments. The Minns government is racing to pass its centrepiece climate legislation in the final sitting fortnight of the year to entrench targets of 50% by 2030 and net zero by 2050. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

What a touching tribute Continue reading...

Environment department questions feasibility of Waratah Coal’s claims about the use of carbon offsets, credits, and capture and storage Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Queensland authorities have blocked Clive Palmer’s plans to build a large coal-fired power station on an outback cattle property, citing climate impacts and rejecting his company’s claims it would be “carbon neutral”. In its decision notice about the proposed 1.4GW power station proposal, the Queensland Department of Environment and Science said economic and employment impacts were outweighed by climate concerns, and that it was inconsistent with “the right to life”. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

An out-of-control blaze continues to challenge firefighters, with an emergency warning issued for Wanneroo, Jandabup, Mariginiup, Melaleuca, Sinagra and Tapping Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Residents in Perth’s northern suburbs were continuing to flee a fast-moving and out-of-control bushfire as the city prepared for another day of scorching temperatures. More than 100 firefighters were battling the blaze that is believed to have damaged three homes and forced hundreds of families to evacuate their properties overnight. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

State’s Minerals Council says campaign aims to educate the public – but its claims of responsible, low-emissions mining don’t stack up Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast “Because in New South Wales, we mine responsibly. For today and tomorrow,” comes the proud declaration at the end of an ad from the state’s mining lobby. The advertisement from the NSW Minerals Council, seen on streaming services including SBS, features four people wearing the logos of the majority Chinese-owned company Yancoal. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

The best handpicked presents to appeal to everyone – even those who have (or hate) everything This is a good Christmas gift guide in more ways than one. Yes, we have compiled our most delightful, thoughtful or useful present ideas for family, friends and acquaintances (your kids’ teachers; the obligatory workplace secret Santa). Yes, our gift suggestions are largely from small businesses that are Australian-based, environmentally aware or socially conscious. And yes, this gift guide is ultimately good for your budget. At a time when many Australian shoppers are being careful with their spending, below you will find more than 100 gift ideas for under $50. Continue reading...

The kiosks have saved corporate chains money on retail wages – but come at a price for our shared sense of community British supermarket chain Booths is scrapping its self-service machines and replacing them with living, breathing, talking, thinking human cashiers. Hooray! In a world that seems to leap, minute by minute, from one dystopian scenario to another, this is happy news. Even better is that it’s not just Britain that’s trading in the automated misery chant of “unexpected items in the bagging area” for a trumpet of hope. CNN reports that major American chains including Costco, Walmart and Wegmans are also rethinking the loveless use of machines that can not tell an avocado from a banana no matter how loud you yell with frustration at it. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell seal progress with 6-4, 7-5 win Lleyton Hewitt’s team to face Finland for place in final Last year’s runners-up Australia powered into the semi-finals of the Davis Cup with a battling 2-1 win over three-times champions Czech Republic that set up a showdown with this year’s surprise package Finland. Australia’s doubles pair of Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell secured their team’s progress with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Jiri Lehecka and Adam Pavlasek in the decider after Alex de Minaur edged past Lehecka 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 to level the tie at 1-1. Continue reading...

Marrickville attack left two men with gunshot wounds – and police later found three burnt-out cars Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Three men have been charged over a Sydney shooting that left two men injured at an inner west hairdressing salon. Emergency services were called to the Marrickville business on 7 July by reports two men had been shot at about 1.50pm. Officers found the men, aged 20 and 33, inside with gunshot wounds. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Last four members of South Korean supergroup have begun enlisting, meaning the band will finish their mandatory military service by 2025 Jung Kook, a member of the K-Pop supergroup BTS, said on Wednesday he would begin military service in December, after the group’s management agency said that all seven BTS members were on track to carry out their service. BTS is on temporary break as a group with three of its seven members now doing South Korea’s mandatory military service. Continue reading...

Politicians and union say assessment of applications should no longer be outsourced to private companies Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Consultants have been paid millions of dollars to help design federally funded grant schemes and assist in assessing applications to such programs, drawing bipartisan rebuke from MPs concerned about potential conflicts of interest. The politicians and a union believe the assessment of grant applications is “core work” for public servants that should no longer be outsourced to private companies, in line with guidelines issued to departments in late October. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Presence of officers can increase distress, according to a study in which people with lived experience suggest they could be talked down Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Police should not be involved in responses to mental health because they can escalate the situation and mental distress, according to new research for the first time led by Australians with lived experience. A report by La Trobe University, Police apprehension as a response to mental distress, presents the research findings, principles and reform agendas to inform appropriate and dignifying responses to mental distress. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Want to get this in your inbox every weekday? Sign up for the Morning Mail here, and finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter Morning, everyone. It’s perhaps not news to people looking for a home they can afford to buy, but Australian house prices are back at record levels after recovering to last year’s peak. As we examine this trend it also links directly to a special report this morning on how the political outlook of younger Australians is changing as they experience a “new kind of adulthood” where home ownership and children come much later in life, if at all. Plus we have the second part of our Weight of the world series on climate change. Overseas there’s breaking news of an explosion at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls on the US-Canada border. And a four-day truce is due to begin in Gaza later today. ‘Tim’s been shot’ | “My first thought was: Tim [Flannery]’s been shot,” says Lesley Hughes in the second instalment of the Weight of the world series, in which we talk to some of Australia’s first climate change scientists about the personal toll of their pioneering work. Hughes says she thought the carbon tax debate had become so toxic that when she heard a loud noise while on stage with Flannery, who was then chair of the Climate Commission, it might be an assassination attempt. Hughes emerged from that time battle weary but optimistic. “I’ve come to the conclusion that hope has to be a strategy,” she says. ‘Counterintuitive’ | Despite rate hikes and gloomy consumer sentiment, house prices across Australia have risen 8.1% since their slump in January. But Corelogic sees the pace of price increases falling off as interest rates remain high, as indicated by Reserve Bank governor Michelle Bullock last night. Exclusive | Australia’s 100 wealthiest schools had a combined income of $4.8bn in 2021, data reveals, as calls grow for the federal government to reduce inequality in the education system. Detention call | The Coalition and Greens want Clare O’Neil to release the government’s legal advice on indefinite detention, with the opposition claiming that the home affairs minister may have already revealed its contents publicly. Power push | The Albanese government will radically expand funding for clean power generation and storage capacity as it tries to keep on course to meet its objective of 82% renewable energy by 2030. Continue reading...

Household disposable income fell 5.1% across the country, meaning our living standards have been smashed Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast The triple threat of falling real wages, rising prices of necessities and soaring mortgage repayments has seen people’s living standards plummet in the past two years. The annual release of the state accounts shows that the 2022-23 financial year was a brutal one for households even while the state economies grew. As I’ve said before, while GDP is a useful number to gauge how the economy is going, you can’t eat GDP. It does not measure much that is important in life and it also counts some things that only tangentially affect households. Continue reading...

Breakups and bushfires derail festivities in this overly sentimental film, starring a likable Heather Mitchell as the matriarch trying to hold it all together Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email A family get-together in the middle of nowhere in stinking hot weather, with bonbons and pavlova and a car out front attached to a trailer – yep, this is a bloody ’Strayan Christmas movie. Expect gentle giggles rather than guffaws from Stan’s yuletide offering from the director Stef Smith and the writer Tegan Higginbotham: an upbeat Chrissy-gone-wrong dramedy that works best in a modest key, hinged on interpersonal dynamics and situational humour, rather than the poignantly and powerfully atmospheric work it longs to be and falls well short of. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Adam Bandt says party cannot endorse $12 a gigajoule price cap due to exemptions allowing new ‘climate bomb’ gasfields Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast The Albanese government’s mandatory code for the gas industry could be at risk, with the Greens vowing to disallow the scheme because it supports new gasfields even as the climate crisis worsens. The Greens will move a disallowance vote in the Senate next Monday, saying the code with its $12 a gigajoule price cap had benefited big gas users. Uncontracted supplies of the fossil fuel had also been diverted to the domestic market. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

As one of Australia’s most influential voices on climate, Lesley Hughes has thought deeply about how to talk about the crisis and says hope has a key role to play See the other pieces in our series Weight of the world: a climate scientist’s burden Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast “I think for most climate change scientists, we become quite good at partitioning off bits of our brain,” says Lesley Hughes. “You put all the negative stuff in a little box and you put a wall around it and you try to keep going.” Continue reading...

Officials say intervention is needed for Australia to reach its 2030 renewable energy target, as private investment slows The Albanese government will radically expand a taxpayer-underwritten scheme to support new clean power generation and storage capacity, acknowledging it is needed to meet its objective of Australia running on 82% renewable energy by 2030. The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, will confirm the expansion of the capacity investment scheme on Thursday after officials advised the government further intervention was needed to meet the electricity target and firm the grid as ageing coal plants retire. Continue reading...

Push comes after home affairs minister said government was advised it would win legal challenge that instead saw 93 people released Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast The Coalition and Greens have demanded the home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, release the government’s legal advice on indefinite detention, with the opposition claiming she may have already revealed its contents publicly. The push from James Paterson and Nick McKim to see legal advice the minister claimed showed the government was “likely” to win a high court challenge comes as new conditions on those released as a result of the decision face their first legal test. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Chief medical officer for England says ministers caused confusion by even debating the idea UK politics live – latest updates Herd immunity was never government policy during the Covid pandemic and it was a major communications failure that some people early in the pandemic believed it was, Prof Sir Chris Whitty told the Covid inquiry. Giving evidence, Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, said opting for herd immunity was “inconceivable” and would have caused “an extraordinarily high loss of life” without necessarily achieving its goal. Continue reading...

Widespread escalation in violence across number of states poses greatest challenge yet to military rule Myanmar is gripped by the worst escalation in violence since the military seized power in a coup almost three years ago, the UN has said, with intense clashes taking place across a number of states and regions. The UN said an escalation in the fighting that began late in October was “the largest in scale and most extensive geographically” since the military coup, and has affected swathes of the country. Continue reading...