Your morning Briefing

Welcome to your morning roundup of what’s making news and the must-reads for today.

Hello readers. Here is your two-minute digest of what’s making news today.

15/03/2018 Greens candidate for Batman Alex Bhathal campaigning in Thornbury with Greens leader Richard Di Natale and member for Melbourne Adam Bandt .Picture David Geraghty / The Australian.

Under pressure

Richard Di Natale is resisting internal pressure to resign as Greens leader following the party’s shock loss in the Batman by-election, amid accusations he lacks empathy after blaming inaction on climate change for the weekend’s bushfires and cyclone that destroyed homes and livestock. Chip Le Grand, meantime, has the Inside Story on how the ‘love party’ tore itself apart over Batman.

-

Some of the more than 70 houses and businesses destroyed by a bushfire in the coastal town of Tathra, Monday, March 19, 2018. RFS and NSW Fire and Rescue continue to mop up and douse smouldering homes after a devastating fire ripped through the community yesterday and overnight. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins) NO ARCHIVING

Tathra ‘matchbox’

Residents of Tathra have accused authorities of negligence after they failed to heed warnings about the lack of bushfire hazard reduction in dense bushland around the NSW south coast town, now ­reeling from the loss of almost 70 homes. The issue split the small beachside community yesterday, with one likening the town to a “box of matches ready to explode” while others said they opposed hazard reduction and accepted the risks. The area has been declared a national disaster zone.

-

A group of driverless Uber cars. Picture; Reuters.

Driverless death

A self-driving car from Uber Technologies struck a woman who died Monday in Tempe, Arizona, local police say, in what is believed to be the first known fatality of a pedestrian from a driverless vehicle. Following the accident overnight, Uber is temporarily pulling its self-driving cars off the roads in Tempe, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Toronto, where it is testing them, a spokeswoman said. She said Uber is investigating the incident and co-operating with authorities.

-

19/03/2018 ANZ head of home loans WilliamRanken leaving the banking royal commission in Melbourne.Picture David Geraghty / The Australian.

Junk insurance

Commonwealth Bank has suffered another black day at the ­financial services royal com­mission, with a senior executive admitting that CBA sold junk credit insurance to tens of thousands of customers and failed to make full and timely disclosure to ASIC.

-

PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA - MARCH 12: Kagiso Rabada of South Africa at the post press conference after day 4 of the 2nd Sunfoil Test match between South Africa and Australia at St Georges Park on March 12, 2018 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Marathon hearing

Kagiso Rabada’s fate lies in the hands of a judicial commission after a marathon appeal hearing. Lawyers in three countries argued for six hours via video conference as South Africa launched its last bid to get the 22-year-old off his code of conduct charges and on to the team sheet for the third and fourth Tests. A decision is expected by Wednesday. The Test begins in Cape Town at the Newlands ground the following day.

-

Clement’s view

Rod Clement Letters Page Cartoon for 13-03-2018Version: Letters Cartoon (1280x720 - Aspect ratio preserved, Canvas added)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.