Afternoon Update: Labor’s 2035 emissions target; ABC barred from Trump’s UK press conference; and a blackbird’s message
Good afternoon. Australia will aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions by between 62% and 70% of 2005 levels by 2035 under the federal government’s new climate target.
Anthony Albanese announced the long-awaited target after cabinet accepted the advice of the Climate Change Authority (CCA), calling it “the right target to protect our environment, to protect and advance our economy and jobs and to ensure that we act in our national interest and in the interest of this and future generations”.
The target, which is less ambitious than the UK’s but higher than New Zealand, Japan and Canada’s, is well below what the CCA thought was “ambitious, but achievable” early last year when it nominated a 65% to 75% range – a possible attempt to stave off criticism from business groups.
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In pictures
Few sporting debuts have arrived with as much hype, but Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout passed his first test at a major global meet by booking a place in the semi-finals of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. “Even though this is the biggest stage in the world, you’ve just got to go out there, treat it like a training session and just go out and have some fun,” Gout said, crediting American competitor Noah Lyles for taking the 17-year-old “under his wing”.
What they said …
“This is perhaps the first administration to make comedy illegal” – Ro Khanna
The Democrat congressman was among numerous politicians, media figures and free speech organisations to express anger and alarm after the US ABC network announced it was suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely over comments Kimmel made about Charlie Kirk’s killing. Donald Trump and his supporters reacted with glee to the news, with the president also appearing to encourage the cancellation of other late-night shows hosted by Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.
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Reunited after a decade: the 60 Minutes child retrieval saga
In 2016, Australian mother Sally Faulkner made global headlines after a botched attempt at retrieving her children from her ex-husband in Lebanon. Now, after a decade of separation, documents released to the Guardian by a US court show she has been reunited with her children.
Nour Haydar speaks to Michael Safi, the presenter of Guardian Investigates, about this extraordinary case and how Faulkner returned to Queensland with her children.
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Reunited after a decade: the 60 Minutes child retrieval saga
Before bed read
Some Māori believe that when they die, their spirit travels up New Zealand to the tip of the North Island – souls flying like birds. In the days after my mum died, Mark Saunokonoko writes, a blackbird lingered like a messenger of solace.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: CRY. You have five goes to get the longest word, including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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