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Welcome, readers, to Afternoon Update.
The fallout from the federal budget continued on Wednesday, with the Coalition assuring voters it would pass the $300 energy rebate despite concerns it was not means tested. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, also signalled a fight on the Future Made in Australia plan, railing against a plan for $13.7bn in production tax incentives for green hydrogen and processed critical minerals as a “handout to billionaires”.
Elsewhere, the Biodiversity Council, an independent science organisation, said the budget was “one of the worst in recent years” for new environment spending. Suicide Prevention Australia said in a statement that the budget “signals a step backward for suicide prevention efforts in Australia”, while the Greens leader, Adam Bandt, criticised the budget as “doing nothing about unlimited rent rises”.
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has praised the budget, though few seemed as supportive as Australia’s FM radio hosts, with whom Anthony Albanese spent some of the day.
You can read Guardian Australia’s explainer on the Future Made in Australia plan here, and find a thorough rundown of budget responses in our live blog.
Top news
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Controversial statue toppled in Hobart | A monument of a Tasmanian premier who beheaded the body of an Indigenous man has been toppled in Franklin Square, Hobart, after its legs were cut through the night before a decision on its removal. The statue of William Crowther was dumped face-down on the ground beside its podium, which was graffitied in red with the word “decolonize” and “what goes around”. A tribunal on Wednesday backed a council decision to remove the monument.
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ANU asks pro-Palestinian encampments to disband | A small group of students on Wednesday said they had been advised by university management to vacate their camps by Friday or risk breaching the university’s code of conduct. This comes after Deakin University on Tuesday requested a pro-Palestinian encampment be disbanded.
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Charlise Mutten was ‘excited’ before fatal trip with alleged killer, jury told | The nine-year-old was fond of her alleged killer and was excited to be spending Christmas with him and her mother before the fatal visit, a trial has been told. Justin Laurens Stein, 33, is accused of murdering the schoolgirl on or around 12 January 2022 at Mount Wilson in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. He has pleaded not guilty.
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Thousands of protesters close major intersection in Georgia | Georgia has been warned by the US government not to become an adversary of the west by falling back in line with Moscow, as its parliament defied mass street protests to pass a “Kremlin-inspired” law.
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US advances $1bn Israel weapons package amid Rafah tensions | The latest weapons package includes tank rounds, mortars and armoured tactical vehicles. The US president, Joe Biden, said last week he had delayed a shipment of 1,800 2,000lb (907kg) bombs and 1,700 500lb bombs to Israel over concerns they might be used for a major invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza.
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Macron urges calm as 130 arrested amid New Caledonia protests | Protests against constitutional changes turned violent on Monday night, with shots fired at security forces, vehicles torched and shops looted in the worst unrest the French overseas territory has seen since the 1980s. In a letter to New Caledonian representatives, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, urged them to “unambiguously condemn all this violence”.
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And the winner of the Westminster dog show is … | A miniature poodle named Sage was the last dog standing in Flushing Meadows out of 2,500 canines hailing from all 50 US states and a dozen other countries. Sage’s handler, Kaz Hosaka of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, was immediately overcome by emotion.
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Steven Bradbury awarded for bravery | The former speed skater, who made a name for himself by being in the right place at the right time, has been presented with a bravery award by Queensland’s governor, Jeanette Young, after he rescued four teenagers from rough seas at Caloundra last year.
In pictures
Big sleeves, bubble skirts and layers of tulle: next-gen designers steal the runway at Australian fashion week
Notable alumni Akira Isogawa and Bianca Spender looked on as four of the brightest fashion graduates from NSW Tafe unveiled a beaded, bibbed and embellished future, observes Lucianne Tonti.
What they said …
“Let’s address the sheep in the room.” – Murray Watt
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Peak farming groups including the National Farmers Federation have staged a walkout during agriculture minister Murray Watt’s post-budget speech on Wednesday morning in outrage over the government’s decision to ban live sheep exports.
In numbers
More AFL players are admitting to hiding concussions as the league’s ability to manage “the pre-eminent issue in the game” becomes increasingly tested. In addition to a fear of missing games due to the 12-day mandatory stand-down rule, players were not reporting concussions because they believed symptoms were of low severity.
Before bed read
Inside the rise and fall of Ashley Madison: ‘People literally lost their lives’
A new Netflix docuseries explores how the site that enabled married people to have affairs devolved into chaos back in 2015.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: PUG. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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