Guardian Morning Mail: Police investigate defence manufacturer vandalism as terrorism

Good morning. Federal police say the vandalism of a defence manufacturer in July last year is being investigated as an act of terrorism by “far-left extremists”.

Meanwhile, Aboriginal community police officers are suing Northern Territory authorities after years of alleged racial abuse, discrimination and underpayment left them “numb” and dreading putting on their uniforms.

The world’s oil companies are facing calls to stop “cashing in on human misery”. And we take a look at sexual enhancement supplements – do they work?

Australia

‘It was systemic’ | Aboriginal community police officers are suing the NT government and police force alleging discrimination, underpayment and the widespread use of racist slurs.

Lovitt Technologies | Protesters who vandalised a defence manufacturer and set vehicles alight in Melbourne could face life imprisonment, with the incident investigated as an act of terrorism.

‘Real challenges’ | Reading and writing scores are going backwards in almost every age group in Australia’s national standardised school tests, with one in three students failing to meet Naplan benchmarks.

Site scrubbed | References to “gender equality” have been removed from the Queensland Office for Women’s website, amid claims the state government wants to “dewokify” the public service.

Analysis | The last five minutes of former finance minister Damien Tudehope’s examination before the Independent Commission Against Corruption delivered a bombshell, Anne Davies writes.

World

Fears for holy site | Jordan has called an emergency meeting of ministers from the Arab and Islamic world over what it says is an “imminent” threat of an Israeli takeover of the most important Muslim site in Jerusalem.

Soaring profits | Eight of the biggest oil companies amassed profits of more than $130bn in just three months as the Iran conflict sent energy prices soaring and heatwaves gripped much of the world.

Middle East crisis | Iran’s president denies threatening to resign during talks over strait of Hormuz as US and Qatari officials say progress is being made in restoring a ceasefire; a mass funeral has been held in Gaza for victims of a 2023 Israeli airstrike.

Migration tensions | The EU’s top official on migration has criticised Spain’s plan to regularise undocumented migrants as “not a good signal” for Europe after an emergency meeting over the Ceuta crisis.

Byelection loss | India’s ruling BJP has suffered a byelection defeat in a seat it had held for decades following the Cockroach movement student protests that have shaken Narendra Modi’s government.

Full Story

The ‘extremely effective’ campaigns undermining support for renewables

Despite most Australians supporting clean technology, the campaign against wind and solar infrastructure has proven to be effective in remote and rural areas. So how do we bring everyone along on the transition to a renewable energy-focused future? And who’s putting up roadblocks? Graham Readfearn joins Reged Ahmad to unpack Australia’s relationship with renewables.

In-depth

A 150-year-old statue of an enslaved American child in a regional NSW town has ignited a furore over race, censorship and what defines art. The statue became a Maitland landmark – with its image put on postcards, teaspoons and other memorabilia. Now, the council has condemned an art exhibit challenging the statue, which the artist says “does not represent Black skin with any dignity”.

Not the news

Australian fiction has long been interested in the relationship between the local and the global – and the six books shortlisted for this year’s Miles Franklin award range across time and place, engaging with histories of empire, environmental ruin, migration, ageing, political activism and war. Take a look at our guide to this year’s shortlist.

Sport

Football | David Squires on … Gianni Infantino clinging on to power as his Fifa empire crumbles; senior Fifa personnel continue to distance themselves from Infantino and his botched private investment scheme.

Cycling | Marlen Reusser stormed to stage four time trial victory in the Tour de France Femmes to take the yellow jersey; Tour de France Femmes cyclists face checks after claims that padded bras aid aerodynamics.

Cricket | Ben Stokes has ruled out a 2027 Ashes return but says his ambition is “to coach England one day”.

Rugby league | Matt King, the former garbage collector with no first-grade coaching experience is taking charge of NSW.

Media roundup

Gambling influencers are flooding social media with videos but so far only one has been disciplined, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Almost one in five Australian bird and mammal species is at high, very high or extreme risk from the H5 bird flu virus, the Age reports.

What’s happening today

Corruption inquiry | Icac hearing into the NSW Liberal party continues.

Courts | The Alan Jones trial continues.

Literature | Miles Franklin literary award winner announced.