Afternoon Update: AFP asked to investigate CFMEU; arrest made over resort deaths; and grocery swaps to help the planet
Welcome, readers, to the Afternoon Update.
The workplace relations minister, Tony Burke, has asked the Australian federal police to investigate corruption allegations against the CFMEU, after a Nine network investigation that allegedly captured a union boss accepting a suspected kickback.
Originally focusing on the Victorian branch of the union, the conversation soon spread to other states. The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has asked for the CFMEU’s affiliation with the state Labor party to be immediately suspended and donations and fees to be stopped after further allegations against its leadership. Meanwhile Tasmania’s attorney general, Guy Barnett, is seeking advice on the potential deregistration of the union’s Tasmanian branch.
When asked whether deregistering the CFMEU was an option, Anthony Albanese said “nothing will be taken off the table”, while Peter Dutton claimed that “we’re only just scratching the surface” of alleged misconduct.
Top news
Suspect arrested after deaths of Australians at Philippines resort | The suspect in the killings of two Australians and their Filipina companion at a hotel in a popular resort city south of Manila was a former pool cleaner who allegedly wanted to retaliate against the hotel for firing him.
Firefighters urge heater safety amid cold snap | Keeping heaters at least a metre from any materials and furniture and plugging them into wall sockets to prevent power board overloads were some of the pieces of advice issued by Fire and Rescue NSW, who said that last time the state experienced a cold snap in 2022 there were a record 17 deaths from residential fires.
Queenslanders melt with delight as snow spotted | A rare and short-lived dusting of snow has fallen on parts of Queensland and northern NSW, surprising residents in high-altitude border areas on Tuesday as Australia’s south-east shivered through a windy and wet start to the week.
Haley and DeSantis endorse Trump at RNC day two | Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, once Donald Trump’s biggest rivals in the Republican party, both gave full-throated endorsements to Trump’s presidential candidacy on Tuesday. You can read our key takeaways from day two here.
Biden reportedly to push for supreme court term limits | Joe Biden is reportedly also considering support for constitutional amendment to eliminate immunity for top officeholders. The report comes as multiple House Democrats protested against a plan to speed up the official party approval of Biden’s re-election bid.
Neo-Nazi leader charged over alleged plot to poison Jewish children | The leader of a neo-Nazi extremist group based in eastern Europe has been charged with plotting to have an associate dress up as Santa Claus and hand out poisoned candy to Jewish children in New York City to sow terror, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Uncontacted tribe seen in Peruvian Amazon | Rare images of the Mashco Piro, an uncontacted Indigenous tribe in the remote Peruvian Amazon, have been released by Survival International, showing dozens of the people on the banks of a river close to where logging companies have concessions.
Ex-White House official accused of working as South Korea agent | Sue Mi Terry, a foreign policy specialist who once worked for the CIA and on the White House national security council, has been accused in an indictment in the US of disclosing nonpublic US government information to South Korean intelligence officers in exchange for designer handbags and other gifts.
South Korean airport authorities crack down on bagel seasoning | A popular US food seasoning mix created for “yummifying the tops of bagels” is the subject of an intensifying crackdown in South Korea, where poppy seeds – one of its key ingredients – are banned.
In video
Rattlesnake ‘mega den’ with as many as 2,000 snakes livestreaming from Colorado
Researchers from California Polytechnic State University have set up a webcam to observe a “mega den” of as many as 2,000 rattlesnakes. Emily Taylor, the biology professor leading the research, says the exact location in Colorado is being kept secret to keep snake lovers – or haters – away.
What they said …
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“[It would be] like going to Switzerland and saying, ‘look I know you have got lots of snow, but we really think you should try surfing’.” – Chris Bowen
While speaking at an Australian Clean Energy Summit dinner on Tuesday night, the energy minister used national pastimes as a metaphor to explain why nuclear energy didn’t suit Australia, a land of abundant renewable energy resources.
In numbers
The anniversary was marked with a memorial service for the families of victims, along with first responders, investigators and officials.
Before bed read
Small changes to what you eat can have big benefits for the planet
Choosing more sustainable options in the same food group can significantly reduce the environmental footprint. Michalis Hadjikakou suggests some simple swaps.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: MITE. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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