Morning Mail: Australia to give $4.6bn to UK for submarine reactors, the fight to save koalas, Apple hit with huge antitrust suit
Morning everyone. The Albanese government will spend $4.6bn to expand production of submarine nuclear reactors in the UK, in an effort to clear potential bottlenecks and pave the way for the countries’ planned SSN-Aukus sub. The US government has hit Apple with a sprawling antitrust lawsuit accusing the iPhone maker of illegally monopolising the market, and spare a thought for Turkish borrowers today after their central bank hiked interest rates to 50%.
Australia
Stadium stalemate | Queensland’s 2032 Olympics will not be held in a brand-new stadium, with both major parties now ruling out the Victoria Park and Gabba rebuild options.
Aukus extras | With high-level talks between Australian and UK ministers in Adelaide today, the government will seek to prop up the Aukus pact by sending $4.6bn to clear bottlenecks at the Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor production line in Derby.
Gas relief | A new gas import plant on the New South Wales coast is now 90% complete and could be brought online as soon as next year, more than making up for projected shortages, the operator claims.
Coalition rebuked | Dennis Richardson, a former Australian ambassador to the US, has issued an indirect rebuke to the Coalition, warning that those seeking to politicise Donald Trump’s broadsides against Kevin Rudd are undermining the national interest.
Transgender living | Sydney’s first dedicated affordable housing project for transgender women will be built in Darlinghurst following the sale of properties by the council. Meanwhile in Queensland, tenants’ advocates say more is needed to address the housing crisis as the state moves to ban rent bidding.
World
Apple bitten | The US government has filed a sprawling antitrust case against Apple alleging that the tech giant has illegally prevented competition by restricting access to its software and hardware.
US truce plan | The US has drafted a new UN security council resolution calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza amid mounting pressure on Israel to halt its military campaign. EU leaders are also planning to release a call for a ceasefire as they gather for a summit in Brussels.
Rate yikes | Turkey’s central bank unexpectedly raised interest rates to 50% overnight, citing a deteriorating inflation outlook and pledging to tighten further if it looks like inflation is significantly and persistently worsening.
Trump windfall? | Donald Trump’s wealth is set to increase by more than US$3bn if a shareholder vote later today paves the way for the float of his Trump Media business which runs Truth Social.
Expenses rort | A British cabinet minister who has criticised government waste has claimed tens of thousands of pounds in expenses to rent a London flat despite her husband owning a property a mile away.
Full Story
Newsroom edition: the struggle to keep big money out of politics
Editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor and head of newsroom Mike Ticher discuss how to limit the influence of political donations.
In-depth
Koalas are among the most recognisable creatures on earth, a symbol of Australia’s unique wildlife and a tool of soft power. But the eucalypt-munching marsupials, once killed in the millions for their fur, are dwindling in numbers due to serious threats from the global heating and land clearing that is destroying their habitat. Graham Readfearn talks to the people trying to save them.
Not the news
“A beautiful meditation on the power of the imagination to create meaning,” is what our reviewer Joseph Cummins calls One Another, the new novel by the Australian writer Gail Jones (pictured). Helen, a Cambridge PhD student, is supposed to be writing a critical study of Joseph Conrad but she ends up writing about the great author’s early life as a way to escape the drudgery of her own project and an abusive boyfriend.
The world of sport
Football | First international goals from Keanu Baccus and Kye Rowles (pictured) secured a 2-0 win over Lebanon in Sydney last night as Australia planted one foot in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualifying marathon.
NRL | Nathan Cleary had a hand in four tries as his Penrith Panthers team inflicted more pain on Brisbane last night in a rematch of the grand final.
Cricket | Australia’s new star Annabel Sutherland stepped in to rescue her team in Dhaka last night with an unbeaten 58 as the tourists went on to beat Bangladesh by 118 runs in the opening ODI.
AFL | Collingwood suffered a third successive loss last night – this time to St Kilda at the MCG – as they continued their disastrous defence of the premiership title.
Media roundup
Victoria’s government is considering giving homebuyers the option of paying a land tax to avoid the pain inflicted by stamp duty, the Age claims. Joint Australian of the Year, Prof Richard Scolyer, has posted an MRI scan showing no recurrence of his brain cancer 10 months after deciding to use his illness for an experimental treatment, the Daily Telegraph reports. Hundreds of people have been evacuated to Darwin amid a threat from once-in-a-lifetime flooding levels in Borroloola, the NT News says.
What’s happening today
Aukus | Talks with UK ministers in Adelaide plus a joint media conference.
William Tyrrell | Short oral submissions for foster parents on charges of assaulting and intimidating a different child
Sydney | Judgment for man in historic sex abuse case at Daruk boys home.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
