It’s Friday! Here are the big stories from this week and some that you might have missed.
The big headlines:
- Heatwave conditions are set to continue around south-east Australia, with parts of Victoria and South Australia experiencing temperatures close to 50C earlier this week. Hot air is expected to move into north-west NSW and Queensland over the next few days.
- Around 15,000 people took to the frozen streets of Minneapolis to protest the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the city. Anti-ICE demonstrations have increased after US citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed by agents this month.
- Police have charged Brandan Koschel with publicly inciting hatred on the grounds of race causing fear at a March for Australia anti-immigration rally in Sydney on Australia Day. The 31-year-old is believed to have been a member of the now-defunct neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network and allegedly chanted racist slogans while onstage at the rally. In Perth, a 31-year-old man was also arrested after throwing a homemade explosive device into a crowd at an Invasion Day rally.
What else happened this week?
Scientists struggle to contain crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak on Great Barrier Reef
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Scientists have warned the current outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish may be one of the worst in 60 years. Adult crown-of-thorns starfish are responsible for up to 40 per cent of coral loss over the past four decades.
Social media giants in court accused of making platforms intentionally addictive
Wikimedia Commons
Trials in Los Angeles began on Tuesday that will see Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube accused of intentionally designing their products to be addictive for children. Top executives from the companies, such as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, may be called up for questioning.
Qld government culls K'gari dingoes linked with death of Canadian tourist Piper James
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The government confirmed it has euthanised six of the 10 dingoes seen near the body of the 19-year-old who died on K’gari. Experts have criticised the move as it may push the island’s dingo population closer to extinction.
Serious harms and incidents during first year of Darwin's new youth detention
Pexels
Warning: This story contains content some readers may find distressing. Darwin's Holtze Youth Detention Centre opened in November 2024 and since then nine young people have been hospitalised after self-harming while two have been sexually assaulted. Documents obtained by the ABC under FOI laws show 119 instances of serious property damage, four escapes, 19 attempted escapes, and one hunger strike.
Pauline Hanson overtakes Sussan Ley as preferred PM in poll
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A DemosAU poll of 1,933 voters showed 26 per cent of Australians preferred the One Nation leader as prime minister, while Liberal leader Sussan Ley is languishing behind with 16 per cent. Labor leader Anthony Albanese leads, sitting on 36 per cent.
Bunnings accused of greenwashing by Wilderness Society
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The Wilderness Society has filed a complaint to the ACCC accusing Bunnings of "greenwashing", by selling illegally logged timber from Australia’s native forests despite claiming responsible and legal sourcing.
Aussies knocked out of Australian Open
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Alex De Minaur was defeated in straight sets in his quarter final match against tennis world number one Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday night. Fellow Aussie Maddison Inglis’ fairytale run came to an end in her round-of-16 match against Ukrainian Iga Świątek on Monday evening. The women’s and men’s finals will be held on the weekend.
Grok AI used to generate child sexual abuse material
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Researchers from the U.S. Center for Countering Digital Hate found that around three million sexualised images were generated by Grok AI over an eleven-day period on X, including images of children.
Actors Rose Byrne and Jacob Elordi nominated for more awards
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Rose Byrne was nominated for an award at the Oscars and the BAFTAs for her leading role in the indie film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Jacob Elordi also picked up nominations for both awards for his supporting role as the monster in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.
And now for some good news:
Roll call of Australians of the Year
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Katherine Bennell-Pegg is the 2026 Australian of the Year, after becoming the first person to qualify as an astronaut under Australia’s space program. Dementia expert Professor Henry Brodaty was made the Senior Australian of the Year, ultra-marathon runner Nedd Brockmann won Young Australian of the Year for fundraising for homeless relief, and Indigenous construction leader Frank Mitchell took out the Local Hero category. (All four pictured above)
