‘We want our stories to be told’: NSW Labor pledges $3.2m to support writing and literature amid AI onslaught

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Stories Matter strategy responds to urgent pressures such as declining reading rates and growing impact of digital media on publishing, minister says

It is a sector that delivers $1.3bn annually to the New South Wales economy and supports up to 22,000 jobs, yet the average writer earns just $18,200 a year from their creative practice.

To counter this stark disparity, the NSW government is launching the state’s first ever writing and literature strategy, and has committed $3.2m to support and expand the sector.

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Controversial FoI changes sparked after staff complained getting emails every 5 minutes may ‘jam something’

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Attorney general says online regulator received nearly 600 freedom of information requests in a short period of time from an ‘automated generator’ and ‘this is why the system is broken’

The eSafety commissioner’s freedom-of-information staff worried one email every five minutes might “jam something”, according to documents which reveal the under-siege feeling that sparked controversial new proposals to clamp down on FoI in Australia.

The Labor government’s unpopular bill to impose charges for FoI requests and dramatically curtail what information could be released seems set to fail after the Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, said the opposition would vote against it – although the attorney general, Michelle Rowland, said she remained “absolutely committed” to the proposal.

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Russian barrage causes blackouts in Ukraine as Zelenskyy seeks Trump’s help – AP News

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  1. Russian barrage causes blackouts in Ukraine as Zelenskyy seeks Trump’s help  AP News
  2. Russia launches 300 drones and missiles at Ukraine, Kyiv says, as Zelenskyy prepares for White House meeting  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  3. Russia targets Ukraine energy facilities ahead of Trump meeting with Zelensky  The Hill
  4. Russia bombards Ukraine’s gas sites as Zelenskyy flies to US for Trump meeting  The Guardian
  5. Ukraine imposes blackouts in most regions after Russian power grid attacks  BBC
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French PM Lecornu survives confidence votes but breathing space will not last long – BBC

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  1. French PM Lecornu survives confidence votes but breathing space will not last long  BBC
  2. French PM Lecornu escapes first no confidence vote after major concessions  CNN
  3. France’s Political Turmoil Is Weighing on Its Economy  The New York Times
  4. Why France keeps fighting over retirement age  Reuters
  5. France’s Lecornu Faces Budget Clash After Surviving Ouster Votes  Bloomberg.com
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The Gaza Peace Deal Has One Huge Problem: Hamas Won’t Disarm – National Security Journal

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  1. The Gaza Peace Deal Has One Huge Problem: Hamas Won’t Disarm  National Security Journal
  2. Hamas Is Not Done Fighting  Foreign Affairs
  3. Why Hamas remains the greatest threat to Trump’s Gaza plan  CNN
  4. Hamas’s aim to retain authority in Gaza involves keeping the guns  The Guardian
  5. 'Hamas isn't going anywhere': The hard realities facing Trump and Netanyahu in Gaza  Haaretz
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Former Bush adviser charged with amassing top secret files

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Indian-American Ashley Tellis allegedly obtained US military data and passed envelopes to Chinese officials

A prominent Indian-American academic and former US government adviser has been arrested and charged with the unlawful detention of national security information, including thousands of pages of top secret documents that were found at his home in Virginia.

Ashley Tellis, 64, who served on the national security council of the former US president George W Bush and is credited for helping to negotiate the US-India nuclear deal, was arrested and charged over the weekend.

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US-led coordination center overseeing Gaza rebuilding to be operational in coming days, officials say – ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

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  1. US-led coordination center overseeing Gaza rebuilding to be operational in coming days, officials say  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  2. The American Troops Tasked With Helping Secure Gaza’s Future  The Wall Street Journal
  3. US military to oversee next phase of peace deal from coordination base in Israel  Fox News
  4. U.S. troops are going to Israel to support the Gaza ceasefire, but JD Vance vows no ‘boots on the ground’  Fortune
  5. US is sending about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor the Gaza ceasefire deal  AP News
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As Israeli forces withdraw after ceasefire, Hamas tightens its grip on the streets of Gaza – France 24

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  1. As Israeli forces withdraw after ceasefire, Hamas tightens its grip on the streets of Gaza  France 24
  2. Masked Hamas fighters seen executing men in Gaza City as the group fights with rival powers  CNN
  3. With Truce in Place, Hamas Pursues Bloody Crackdown on Rivals in Gaza  The New York Times
  4. Senior US military official tells Hamas to halt executions after Trump downplays them  The Times of Israel
  5. Hamas reasserts control on streets of Gaza, turning guns on its rivals  The Washington Post
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French PM faces fraught budget talks after surviving no-confidence votes – Reuters

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  1. French PM faces fraught budget talks after surviving no-confidence votes  Reuters
  2. France’s Government Narrowly Survives No-Confidence Vote  The New York Times
  3. French PM survives no-confidence votes after making pension concession  NBC News
  4. France’s Lecornu Faces Budget Clash After Surviving Ouster Votes  Bloomberg.com
  5. Why France keeps fighting over retirement age  Reuters
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