Morning Mail: new AFP powers to target sex offenders, blueberry farming blues, Australia’s Nobel winner

Morning everyone. Federal police will be given special licence to possess and share child sexual abuse material in the dark corners of the internet, our exclusive top story reveals, in order to pursue criminal syndicates trading illegal material. Elsewhere, the explosion of blueberry farming in New South Wales has locals worried about pesticide use, a Melbourne university scientist has won the Nobel chemistry prize, and Mad Max’s director, George Miller, welcomes the AI “Renaissance”. Australia Prize post | The former prime minister Julia Gillard has been named as chair of the UK’s Women’s prize for fiction in 2026 (formerly the Orange prize). Exclusive | Federal police officers will get new protections to possess and share child sexual abuse material to target sex offenders online, with changes to national laws designed to ensure investigators are not themselves committing criminal offences. Tropical storm | The global trade in marine aquarium fish relies heavily on fish sourced directly from wild populations, with many consumers unaware of the practice due to murky supply chains. ABC ‘failings’ | The Antoinette Lattouf unlawful dismissal case had “many failings” and has already cost the ABC at least $2.5m, ABC’s managing director, Hugh Marks, told Senate estimates last night. Nobel winner | A scientist at Melbourne University has won the Nobel chemistry prize with two colleagues for their work on creating revolutionary porous materials that can harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide from industrial facilities and remove toxins from water. World Lights out | The US government shutdown is starting to cause disruption across the country as the political deadlock deepens. There are likely to be escalating flight delays and the IRS has furloughed half its workers. Meanwhile, Ex-FBI director James Comy pleaded not guilty on federal charges, and Donald Trump called for the imprisonment of Chicago’s mayor and Illinois’s governor. Bubble trouble | The Bank of England has warned there is a growing risk of a “sudden correction” in global markets as it raised concerns about soaring valuations of leading AI tech companies. Myanmar bombing | A Myanmar military operation that used a motorised paraglider to drop bombs on a village this week killed at least 20 people including children and injured dozens more, according to witnesses and local media. Synagogue terror | The Manchester synagogue terrorist rang 999 during his deadly attack pledging allegiance to the terror group Islamic State, police have said. Hello Dolly | Dolly Parton has popped up on social media in a video to reassure fans she “ain’t dead yet” and, on the contrary, is back at work after health rumours swirled following her cancellation of a Vegas run. Full Story Who will take the trophy in the Australian bird of the year 2025? Deputy editors Gabrielle Jackson and Patrick Keneally and Bird Life Australia’s Sean Dooley tell Reged Ahmad about the scandals of elections past, why the poll matters and which bird will get their vote. In-depth Australians love to eat blueberries, and NSW’s mid-north coast is seeing a boom in black-netted blueberry plantations with locals and traditional farmers worried about the rapid growth (40% between 2022-24) and accompanying pesticide use. Anne Davies investigates. Not the news The use of AI is dividing the film industry but one of Australia’s most celebrated film-makers – the director of the Mad Max franchise, George Miller – has been telling Kelly Burke about why he is all in. “AI is arguably the most dynamically evolving tool in making moving images,” he says. “As a film-maker, I’ve always been driven by the tools. AI is here to stay and change things.” Sport Brisbane | The success of the Lions and the Broncos in the AFL, NRL and NRLW grand finals has led many to declare that Brisbane is the country’s sporting capital. Joe Hinchliffe finds that not everyone agrees. Cricket | Australia captain Pat Cummins is expected to miss the Ashes opener in Perth with his back injury as doubts grow around his availability for the entire Test series against England. Australia’s women thumped Pakistan by 107 runs in the World Cup, largely thanks to Beth Mooney whose century rescued her team from 76-7. Football | Seven Malyasia national-team players, including one from Spain’s La Liga, have been suspended by Fifa over claims of cheating over how they were “naturalised” to play for the country in a scandal that has rocked Asian football. Media roundup The Australian claims that two Melbourne magistrates have warned about the “rampant” crime wave in the city. NSW taxpayers are shelling our $1.2m a day to keep patients in hospital as they await discharge to aged care and disability facilities, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. A Federation home will be demolished to make way for Gina Rinehart’s $250m new headquarters in Perth, WAtoday reports. The celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has told the Hobart Mercury that not even a close encounter with a great white has dampened his love for Tasmania and its produce. What’s happening today Business | The cryptocurrency exchange Gemini launches in Australia. Sydney | A NSW appeal court judgment in the police bid to stop the pro-Palestine rally to Sydney Opera House is due. Education | The university global rankings will be released. Sign up 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. Brain teaser And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword