☕️ Indonesia's protests, explained

It’s a big day. It’s Beyoncé’s birthday. In her honour, my favourite Beyoncé joke:

What did Beyoncé say to the kid who lost their balloon? If you liked it then you shoulda put a string on it.

I’m so sorry.

"I hope this decision makes it clear to management that staff have legitimate concerns and they can't just ram through changes that prioritise profit over people. It seems like management isn't interested in the ideas of the staff who run this university".
UTS Professor Dr Sarah Attfield, in a statement after the NSW workplace safety authority required the uni to pause a round of job cuts, citing impacts on staff mental health.

362 million
The number of bottles that will be eligible to be recycled for money in NSW and SA from mid-2027, as the Return and Earn scheme expands to include larger drink containers like wine bottles.

"How my grandma holds my hand and walks me to my present under the tree." A comment left on a photo we published of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding hands at a summit in China.

Anti-government protests in Indonesia have turned violent after police killed a 21-year-old delivery driver.

The protests began in the capital city of Jakarta, sparked by outrage over politicians’ pay.

They have now spread across the country, resulting in at least seven deaths and more than 1,200 arrests.

Last month, Indonesian media reported federal politicians were receiving a monthly ‘housing allowance’ of up to 50 million rupiah ($AU4,700) as part of their pay.

The allowance is around 10 times the minimum wage in the capital of Jakarta. However, in a now-viral video, Federal MP Adies Kadir claimed the payment isn’t enough to cover politicians’ housing in the city.

It follows recent budget cuts, which have impacted funding in Indonesian provinces.

Protests began in Jakarta on 25 August, with demonstrations centred on the Parliament building. Police fired tear gas at protesters, who threw rocks and bottles back.

On the third day of protests in the capital, police ran over 21-year-old delivery driver Affan Kurniawan, who later died in hospital.

The killing of Kurniawan sparked widespread protests across the whole country.

Protestors targeted government and police buildings, and the homes of politicians.

At least seven people have been killed, including three who died when a council building was set alight.

In response, President Prabowo Subianto cancelled a planned trip to China, met with Kurniawan’s family, and committed to an investigation.

Prabowo told the press on the weekend that the housing allowance has been scrapped.

Reporting by Lucy Tassell and Joe Casey.

The Government has tabled a bill that would require fees to be paid for freedom of information (FOI) requests.

Individuals asking for personal information will be exempt.

The Government said its bill will streamline the FOI system and modernise its response.

Critics, including the Coalition and Greens, have called it a “truth tax” and are vowing to oppose the fees.

How does FOI work, and why has there been a backlash to the proposed fees?

The Government holds a lot of information.

Beyond politicians, it houses large departments that can directly affect Australians’ lives, like social services, veterans affairs, and housing.

While the Government and its departments publish some information, more can be requested via FOI.

Journalists typically use FOIs to access undisclosed data or find out how the Government made a particular decision.

FOIs can be requested at the local, state, and federal levels.

All state and territory governments charge fees for FOI requests, except the ACT. The fees range between $30 and $50, and can be more expensive depending on the nature of the request.

The Federal Government does not currently charge fees.

Information from intelligence agencies and cabinet documents (meetings of senior ministers) isn’t accessible.

The Federal Government has proposed introducing fees for FOI requests.

It could parallel costs at a state and territory level, ranging from $30 to $50.

Attorney General Michelle Rowland, the country’s top law officer, argued the process is outdated.

“The FOI framework is stuck in the 1980s — before the use of email became common and decades before the invention of the smartphone,” Rowland said in a statement.

The legislation would ban anonymous FOI requests, along with those considered “vexatious, abusive and frivolous”.

“In 2024, public servants spent more than a million hours processing FOI requests,” the Government said.

It said AI has helped facilitate large volumes of requests, including a website that generated 1,000 FOI requests within a few weeks.

The bill would also expand documents exempt under ‘cabinet confidentiality’ to include materials prepared for a minister before cabinet discussions.

Shadow Attorney General Julian Leeser called the FOI fees a “truth tax”.

“[It] sends a clear message: Labor believes information belongs to them, not the people,” he said in a statement.

Leeser said the Opposition would review the legislation before arriving at a formal position. However, he said he already had “serious concerns”.

Greens Senator David Shoebridge said the proposals would amount to the “biggest restrictions” on FOIs in recent years.

“Making information only accessible to those who can pay sells us all out,” Shoebridge said.

Think tank the Australia Institute pointed to data showing the current Government processed 13,000 fewer FOI requests in 2023/24 than the final year of the Howard Government in 2006/07.

In 2023, the Centre for Public Integrity called for all existing FOI fees to be scrapped.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

The small swap that makes a huge difference

FOGO (food organics and garden organics) bins are popping up across Victoria – and here’s the deal: your food scraps and garden clippings don’t belong in landfill. Toss them in the lime green FOGO bin instead, and they’ll be turned into rich compost for local farms and gardens.

And if you don’t live in VIC… compost is for everyone and it is easier than you might think!

✅ Yes please: food scraps, veggie peelings, coffee grounds, eggshells, garden clippings and more.

❌ Nope: plastic, packaging, glass, nappies, fruit stickers and other rubbish.

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The Government has pledged $5.9 million to establish the Richard Scolyer Chair in Brain Cancer Research, with funds to go towards expanding clinical trials and supporting leaders, students and scientists in the field of brain cancer research. Scolyer was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2023, and has been receiving treatment at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse.

Speaking on Wednesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described him as “an extraordinary Australian,” while Health Minister Mark Butler said: “There are few people in Australia, or indeed the world, who have made as significant a contribution to cancer research, treatment and advocacy as Professor Richard Scolyer.”

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

Iconic U.S. sketch show Saturday Night Live finished its landmark 50th season earlier this year. It’s starting season 51 with one of its biggest cast overhauls in a long time.

So far, the biggest names to leave the cast are fan favourite Heidi Gardner, who joined in 2017, and Michael Longfellow, who joined in 2022.

Their departures follow an interview with creator Lorne Michaels in industry publication Puck, where he said this season would “reinvent” the show.

To fill their spots, SNL is introducing five new cast members, including TikTokers Veronica Slowikowska and Jeremy Culhane.

Reporting by Rosa Bowden.

Anti-government protests in Indonesia have turned violent after police killed a 21-year-old delivery driver.

The protests began in the capital city of Jakarta, sparked by outrage over politicians’ pay.

They have now spread across the country, resulting in at least seven deaths and more than 1,200 arrests.

In today’s podcast, we’ll explain what sparked these protests and what the Indonesian government plans to do next.