Latest news with #Naaguja
The Guardian
04-08-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Reckoning for a colonial massacre, Musk's $US29bn payday, the politics of Sydney Sweeney
Morning everyone. We continue our Descendants series today with a report from Bootenal Springs in Western Australia about how the families of Indigenous people and white settlers came together for a reckoning about a massacre 171 years ago – and calls for the release of diaries that could shed light on colonial-era killings. Plus: we examine claims and counter-claims about the size of the Sydney pro-Palestine march, we have plenty on an extraordinary game of cricket in England – and will it all go wrong for Sydney Sweeney now that she's been outed as a Republican? Glacial change | Glaciers on a remote Australian sub-Antarctic island are shrinking rapidly, losing almost a quarter of their size in just 70 years, with researchers fearing glaciers on a neighbouring peninsula may have already disappeared. The Descendants | The descendants of those who committed a massacre at Bootenal Springs near Geraldton in Western Australia – the wealthy Drummond and Criddle families – and the surviving Naaguja have come together to reckon with this bloody history. Guardian Australia sat down with both sides as part of The Descendants project. Plus: Naaguja traditional owners have called for the diaries of the prominent colonist Major Logue to be published in full, after we revealed that coded entries from the diary in the 1850s described the killing of Naaguja Yamatji people. Bridge divide | The police estimated the crowd at the Harbour Bridge protest to be 90,000 but Palestine Action Group say the figure was closer to 300,000. Who was right? Airport chaos | Passengers were evacuated from Brisbane domestic airport and flights delayed after a fault with a single metal detector prompted travellers and staff to be re-screened by security. App appeal | Giggle for Girls and Sall Grover have begun their appeal to overturn a landmark court decision that found the women-only social media app and its boss had unlawfully discriminated against Roxanne Tickle, a transgender woman. Israeli pushback | Hundreds of former Israeli security officials, including previous heads of the Mossad and the military, have signed an open letter to Donald Trump urging him to pressure the country's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to end the war in Gaza. A UN expert who warned of the starvation crisis last year says 'no one should act surprised' about the calamity. US visitor bonds | The US state department has prepared plans to impose bonds as high as US$15,000 for some tourism and business visas, according to a draft of a temporary final rule. Elsewhere in the Magaverse, Marjorie Taylor Greene has told an interviewer that she feels the Republican party has lost touch with its base. And Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will arrive in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin tomorrow. Activist arrested | The far-right activist known as Tommy Robinson has been arrested by British police on suspicion of grievous bodily harm after a man was allegedly assaulted at a London railway station Musk gets richer | Tesla's board has approved the award of $US29bn worth of shares to its chief executive, Elon Musk, after a US court ruled against a previous pay deal for the world's richest person. Sydney sider | We write a fair bit about the politics of Sydney, but the politics of Sydney Sweeney are causing a big stir after the ubiquitous actor was revealed as a registered Republican. Is Australia a conspiracy-theory nation? Conspiracy theories and fringe ideas are now increasingly a visible part of Australian politics and public life. But what pushes people to abandon our shared reality, and what is responsible for the rapid rise in false truths?Reged Ahmad talks to Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson about the threat conspiracy theories pose to Australia. Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $ Business owners in Bali are in despair about the destruction of 48 cliffside establishments at Bingin beach. The dispute symbolises the struggle between mass tourism and the desire to retain the island's special appeal. What's your favourite Sam Neill performance? Is it The Dish? Is it Dead Calm? Or is it even his turn in Peaky Blinders? Luke Buckmaster gets it sorted. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Cricket | Ben Stokes has praised his England players despite India completing one of the most dramatic Test match victories ever seen at the Oval, squaring the series with a stunning six-run victory after Chris Woakes attempted to carry his team over the line with a dislocated shoulder. Our writer Barney Ronay captures the game's 'moments of beauty, fun and impossible drama'. Formula One | After Oscar Piastri missed out on winning the Hungarian grand prix, our correspondent assesses the season so far as the teams take their mid-season break. Rugby league | The Penrith Panthers have defended the actions of trainer Corey Bocking after the NRL proposed huge penalties for a controversial incident at the climax of Saturday's clash against the Gold Coast. Ten Victorian towns are going to lose piped gas because the operator says it's too expensive, the Age reports. Forecasting Australia's weather has become harder thanks to Donald Trump, according to Matt Kean writing in the Sydney Morning Herald. The Daily Telegraph dissects the NRL's 'trainer-gate' and what it calls one of the league's most significant sanctions in recent history. Economy | Car sales figures for July at 11am followed by ABS release on monthly household spending. Courts | Bakers Delight v Fair Work Commission in the federal court. Fashion | Country to Couture fashion collections from Indigenous designers. If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. And finally, here are the Guardian's crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Anger erupts as Aussie tourist site 'totally destroyed' in violent act
An Australian tour of important cultural sites has ended in horror after the group's leader found one had been destroyed. A massive naturally formed limestone 'statue' that symbolised the head of a snake had been 'violently desecrated' with what appeared to be some kind of heavy tool. Located out of the way, on the banks of the Greenough River, east of Geraldton in Western Australia, few people knew of its existence. Naaguja Yamatji man Derek Councillor began leading small groups to the Indigenous site around a decade ago, and he believes someone with knowledge of its cultural importance is responsible. Speaking with Yahoo News Australia, Councillor said he was 'angry' when he found the rock in pieces on Thursday. 'It had been there for like generations. My father showed me, his father showed him, and so on,' he told Yahoo News. 'To discover the rock totally destroyed like that on the tour was very sad.' Related: 🌏 Fears for ancient sites under threat from controversial industry plan In the Naaguja language, the snake is referred to as a Bimara. The statue is connected to a Dreamtime legend about it trying to enter the ocean but being stopped by a sea serpent who wounded him. For him to heal his wounds, he had to go back to the Greenough River where he belonged. Because he was there so long, with his head above the banks, the rock took the shape of his head. 'It was a place of significance where we'd go. If we'd fish there, we'd do a little smoking ceremony around the rock to ask for blessings and protection,' Councillor said. 🐍 Bold plan to reintroduce wild animals into Australia's major cities 😳 Sad find in dam sparks warning about daily problem in Aussie bush 🏔️ Search for answers as town buried after mountainside collapses On social media, another community member shared their anger and sadness at the destruction, saying it was more than an act of vandalism. 'This is an attack on our culture, our ancestors, and our spirit. My heart aches not just for what was lost, but for what this says about the continued disregard for our sacred sites,' they wrote. Dozens of people were sympathetic. 'No need for this in our beautiful country at all,' one wrote. 'Heartbreaking. I wish there was more respect in this world. Needless destruction,' another said. But others mocked what had happened with racist comments, deepening the wounds felt by the community. These comments have now been deleted. Councillor told Yahoo he began taking tourists to the site because he thought 'times were changing' and the wider community was more accepting of Indigenous practices. 'Now I wish I hadn't,' he said. He now plans to report the destruction to the Native Title Board. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
