News update for Tue 11 Feb 2025

Your trusted guide to the top independent news and views of the day...

Feb 11, 2025

Welcome to your TrueNorth news update where every weekday afternoon we share curated articles from Australia’s independent news media sector.

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TODAY’S BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: See all the breaking news of the day through The Guardian here - and through 6 News here | Also follow The Australia Institute's new Live Blog with Amy Remeikis

BREAKING NEWS:

Earth is already shooting through the 1.5°C global warming limit, two major studies show - The Conversation

Earth is crossing the threshold of 1.5°C of global warming, according to two major global studies which together suggest the planet’s climate has likely entered a frightening new phase.

Under the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, humanity is seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and keep planetary heating to no more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average. In 2024, temperatures on Earth surpassed that limit.

Greg Jericho: Trump’s latest tariff bid shows the old rules of trade no longer apply. Scraps of paper will not save us - The Guardian

News that the US president, Donald Trump, was going to place a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium imports in to the US came as it generally does with such things – out of the blue, with no reasoning, and little to no understanding of whether Trump even knows what he is doing.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on the way to the Super Bowl, Trump talked about “reciprocal” tariffs. As an aside he said that “we’ll also be announcing steel tariffs on Monday” and when asked who they would affect he said “everyone”. When further asked about aluminium he replied “aluminium too” (because hey why bother to mention that upfront?).

Also read > Whether we carve out an exemption or not, Trump’s latest tariffs will still hit Australia - The Conversation

'Hold the line': politicians say goodbye ahead of poll - Michael West Media

Unlike Labor’s Maria Vamvakinou and Graham Perrett and the Liberals’ Paul Fletcher – who are retiring of their own volition after years in parliament – independent MP Kylea Tink is being forced out after one term in office.

The member for North Sydney’s seat was abolished in 2024 in an Australian Electoral Commission redistribution.

Flanked by electorates held by other independents, Ms Tink could not run in a neighbouring seat without risking splitting the vote.

Delivering her valedictory speech in the House of Representatives on Monday, Ms Tink said she felt deep gratitude for the “surreal” opportunity to serve her community.

“We did the unthinkable and turned up on mass to take our parliamentary voice and vote back, rather than simply handing it over, yet again to an unresponsive and disrespectful party system,” she said.

Ms Tink urged other community independents to “go get ’em” and thanked teal MPs for their friendship and partnership in securing change.

“You’ve got this next election – our country needs you, so please hold the line,” she said.

Greg Barnes: Australia's silence on Trump's ICC sanctions is nothing but shameful - Pearls and Irritations

Last Friday 79 nations signed a statement condemning the announcement 24 hours earlier by genocide enabler US President Donald Trump, that he was imposing sanctions on officials of the International Criminal Court because they had issued a warrant for the arrest of architect of genocide of the Palestinian people, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Shamefully, but given this nation’s appalling record on human rights and its supine posture on matters Washington perhaps not surprisingly, Australia did not sign this statement. Perhaps the Albanese Government did not want to upset the Americans while Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles was handing over $800 million of taxpayer funds to Washington as part of the obscene AUKUS deal.

Also read >

Of hate speech, fat cats and parliamentary priorities - Michael West Media
Yes, let’s have an inquiry into the smelly Dural caravan affair - Jack Waterford for Pearls and Irritations
Open letter on academic freedom, in solidarity with Randa Abdel-Fattah - Overland Journal

Kara Swisher has known Elon Musk for decades - she saw this coming - 7am Podcast

Veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher has reported on Elon Musk for decades. In that time, they’ve talked publicly and privately on many occasions. But not anymore. Elon Musk is in the process of dismantling US government spending as the head of the new “Department of Government Efficiency”, better known as DOGE. And Kara Swisher says the techno-dictatorship he’s building with Trump’s blessing is just the beginning.

Listen to the 7am Podcast

Victoria blocks Children's Commissioner from entering youth prisons - The Justice Map

The Victorian government last year blocked the National Children’s Commissioner from inspecting its youth prisons and speaking to the children being detained there.

Throughout 2023-24, the National Children’s Commissioner conducted a wide-ranging investigation into how Australia’s criminal justice system is harming children, culminating with the release last year of the Help Way Earlier report.

This investigation involved interviews with 150 children and young people in contact with the criminal justice system, including those who were detained in youth detention at the time.

Today’s cartoon by Matt Golding

TODAY’S BREAKING NEWS: See all the breaking news of the day through The Guardian here - and through 6 News here | Also follow The Australia Institute's new Live Blog with Amy Remeikis

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Growing gardens on the grave of the old world – celebrating community energy - Green Agenda

By building alternative systems from the ground up while existing systems collapse, communities like Yackandandah are creating pathways to a democratic and ecological future.

Confused about nuclear energy? The fossil fuel industry is trying to mislead women - Women’s Agenda

An advertising campaign targeting women ahead of the federal election is promoting misleading information about nuclear energy.

New analysis undertaken by the Climate Council shows that 63 per cent of all nuclear energy advertising active across Facebook and Instagram as of January 2025, was viewed by women.

The ads are largely being driven by the Get Clear on Nuclear group, which is backed by the Minerals Council of Australia, a peak mining lobby group.

Is AI bad for the environment? - The Daily Aus Podcast

As AI becomes increasingly ingrained in our lives, conversations around using it in an ethical and safe was have become more intense. However, a lesser-discussed concern is now gaining attention — the environmental impact of AI. AI requires immense quantities of resources, including electricity, water, and finite minerals. With its carbon footprint only expected to rise in the coming decades, we discuss the sustainability concerns surrounding this evolving technology.

Listen to The Daily Aus Podcast

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Geoffrey Robertson: Donald Trump has declared war on international justice. Australia must speak up - The Guardian

Donald Trump has declared war on international justice by the dictatorial device of an executive order. He has sanctioned the international criminal court. This empowers him to seize any funds belonging to the court or its judges or employees and to ban them from entering the US. He issued a similar sanction, during his previous presidency, but it was overturned by Joe Biden before court challenges to it could be heard. This time it will prevent ICC leaders from entering New York to report to the UN and will end cooperation to provide evidence to ICC prosecutors for action against Russian commanders. The greatest beneficiary of Trump’s sanction will be Vladimir Putin.

Today’s Trump chaos is exactly what Australia feared when it planned AUKUS - Crikey

When Scott Morrison and then defence minister Linda Reynolds were developing the secret project that would ultimately be dubbed AUKUS, Australian negotiators reportedly advised against giving the go-ahead to approach the US while Donald Trump was president.

Officials believed Trump was too unpredictable, although Morrison has said he believed Trump would have said yes to the proposal.

“The moment that decision arrived at the Pentagon, it would have come back, not because they didn’t trust Trump but because of their absolute, complete protection of naval technology,” Morrison conceded…