Good morning, this is Emilie Gramenz bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Wednesday 16 September.
Top stories
The Morrison government started preparing controversial legislation to amend Australia’s environmental laws before it had received a report from a formal review into whether the act was working. Labor, the Greens and environment groups say it suggests the government never intended to adopt the review’s expert advice.
Britain’s health secretary has admitted its Covid testing crisis could take weeks to resolve, as it emerged that tests from hospitals are being deployed for use in the community to plug holes in the system. Experts in the UK also fear tens of thousands of people may require kidney dialysis or transplants because of coronavirus, warning that the long-term effects of Covid are causing an “epidemic in primary care”. And while cases rise again elsewhere in Europe, Sweden has recorded its fewest daily Covid-19 cases since March. In Ireland, where numbers are low but on an upward trend, parliament was suspended after the health minister reported feeling unwell.
As Labor attempts to win a third successive term in Queensland, it is framing a presidential-style campaign around Annastacia Palaszczuk’s massive social media following and popular pandemic leadership. But the Liberal-National opposition has begun to train its focus firmly on the premier, and federal ministers are weighing in with fierce attacks.
Australia
Men are on course to gain twice as much of the benefit as women if the government fast-tracks the next round of income tax cuts in the budget on 6 October. The Australia Institute’s modelling finds that bringing forward stage two of the already legislated tax cuts would deliver $2.28 of benefits for men for every dollar that flowed to women.
The Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes has put his hand up to develop a replacement for the Liddell coal-fired power plant if the government can clearly identify the rules of engagement for any proponents, rather than focusing solely on gas power. “Would I seriously have a look at this? Yeah, why not,” the tech billionaire said.
The NSW government is moving to amend laws that compel counsellors to report cases of sexual assault to the police. Frontline services say the legislation can deter survivors who do not want authorities involved from seeking help.
A court has heard that a heavily pregnant Muslim woman viciously attacked by a stranger at a Sydney cafe feared she would be killed if others did not intervene. Rana Elasmar told the Parramatta district court she had turned her abdomen away from her attacker and prayed for God to protect her child.
The world
Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have signed agreements in Washington to establish formal relations, ending a decades-old taboo in Arab diplomacy as power and priorities shift in the Middle East.
The family of Breonna Taylor will receive a financial settlement of US$12m after the 26-year-old African American woman was fatally shot by police. The mayor of Louisville, Greg Fischer, also outlined reforms to the Kentucky city’s police force.
A woman in Scotland is seeking legal approval to have an IVF baby using sperm stored by her late husband who died after a long-term illness. The case, the first of its kind in Scotland, turns on whether the man gave effective consent for his sperm to be used to create embryos.
The Spanish government has unveiled plans to turn the site of General Franco’s former mausoleum into a civil cemetery and ban organisations that glorify the dictator’s legacy, as part of its efforts to help the country come to terms with its past.
Recommended reads
Utensils, gadgets, small appliances, large appliances – a lot of things are competing for precious space in your kitchen. As kitchen design trends toward smaller, more efficient spaces, it’s more important than ever to separate the must-haves from the kitchen drawer detritus of the future. That’s where Adam Liaw’s simple guide comes in.
Women are not financially illiterate. They need more than condescending advice, writes Kristine Ziwica: “It once again appears to be women, not systems or structures, that need ‘fixing’. In the meantime, there are significant structural issues that a stack of reports and inquiries dating back more than a decade have found are the real drivers of women’s economic insecurity.”
The first 30 seconds of the YouTube documentary This Is Paris will feel familiar to anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the original social media influencer Paris Hilton. In fact, the documentary proves a reckoning for both subject and viewer, writes Michelle Kambasha, “an indictment on reality v perception – what famous people choose to show and what ordinary people really want to see”.
Listen
Full Story looks at the Austrian ski resort that became the centre of Europe’s Covid-19 outbreak. When Nigel Mallender headed to Ischgl from the UK in March, he was looking forward to a fun-packed break with friends. Just four days later, he and thousands of other tourists were desperately trying to leave after authorities became aware of coronavirus cases. Mallender and the Guardian’s Philip Oltermann discuss the fallout from that week.
The Austrian ski resort that became the centre of Europe’s Covid-19 outbreak
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Sport
To say A-League players did it tough to get the domestic season completed is akin to saying Harry Kewell had the merest hint of talent. Aside from the Covid-19 disruption they had to deal with, players also took a big hit financially, writes Simon Hill. Some took salary cuts of up to 80%. Yet just a fortnight after the season ended, the league’s 300-odd professionals are again back at the starting blocks after a new deal offered by the clubs was rejected by the players’ union.
Steve Smith is eyeing his return as England and Australia prepare for the decider in their three-match one-day international series at Old Trafford. Smith missed the first match against England after being struck on the head in the nets last Thursday, and was again absent for the second despite passing two concussion tests.
Media roundup
The ABC has more revelations that will add fuel to the bonfire of Australia-China relations, reporting that Australian police accessed the communications of top Chinese diplomats and named a Chinese consular official in a warrant as part of an investigation into political interference. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Queensland is considering lowering the bar to reopen the border with NSW by halving the required number of days with no community transmission to 14. Australia’s $45bn frigate program could be delayed for up to two years, according to the Australian Financial Review.
Coming up
The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, is expected to announce easing of Covid-19 restrictions for communities on the NSW-Victoria border.
The aged care royal commission is due to hear from the former treasurer Peter Costello.
And if you’ve read this far …
A bronze statue of the US first lady, Melania Trump, has been unveiled near her hometown in Slovenia, to replace the startling wooden carving of her – it would be unfair to call it a likeness – that was burnt in an arson attack two months ago.
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