Morning everyone. The Albanese government might be running into a few divisions over the voice referendum, but they are mending bridges overseas. After a promising stab at rapprochement with Beijing, a high-powered delegation from Canberra to Paris has agreed a “new defence cooperation” overnight as the government seeks to move on from the Aukus submarine debacle.
We’ve also got more on aforementioned voice issues, plus how to beat those telephone scammers.
Australia
Voice divisions | Assistant minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, told ABC’s Q+A last night that concerns held by Greens senator Lidia Thorpe about the voice to parliament and sovereignty were a “misnomer” as tensions mounted over this year’s referendum. It came after migrant advocates said the plan by leading no campaigner, Warren Mundine, for a symbolic recognition was a “red herring” and potentially “divisive”.
Paris agreement | Richard Marles and Penny Wong have announced a joint deal to supply Ukraine with artillery shells as part of a reboot of relations with France after “2+2” talks with their defence and foreign affairs counterparts in the splendour of the Quai d’Orsay in Paris overnight. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will doubtless approve after he again called for more western help.
Whistleblower warning | Labor’s whistleblower bill goes too far in excluding personal conduct such as sexual harassment complaints from protection, the Greens and legal stakeholders have warned.
Pell funeral | Removing ribbons commemorating abuse survivors from St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney appears designed to prevent the scandal from being “associated” with cardinal George Pell ahead of his funeral on Thursday, according to a former senior church official.
Concussion | The peak body for sports medicine has defended its official position of denying a clear causative link between head injury and debilitating neurodegenerative disease, despite one of its own advisers telling a Senate inquiry that the evidence is “undeniable”.
World
Pakistan bombing | At least 59 people have been killed and 147 people injured in a suspected suicide bomb attack carried out by the Pakistan Taliban at a mosque in Peshawar as the country’s security situation deteriorates.
Israel plea | The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has called for calm after days of violence between Israel and the Palestinians, as he visited Jerusalem for talks with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
‘Restore integrity’ | UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has said he can “restore the integrity” in politics as he began a fightback against the damage from sacking Nadhim Zahawi as Conservative party chair for breaches of the ministerial code.
‘Doppelganger’ killing | A 23-year-old German-Iraqi woman sought out a lookalike on Instagram and murdered her with a friend in order to fake her own death, prosecutors believe, in a case dubbed the “doppelganger” killing.
Oscars race row | The Academy Awards faces a new race row after Andrea Riseborough’s nomination for a best actress in To Leslie, seemingly at the expense of Viola Davis for The Woman King and Danielle Deadwyler for Till.
Full Story
Medical misogyny and the government’s plan to tackle it
Members of the new National Women’s Health Advisory Council will be announced today. Assistant minister for health, Ged Kearney, pictured, explains why it’s needed and we hear from three women who have experienced sexist medical treatment.
In-depth
Australians lose more than $1m a day to telephone and text message scams from criminals posing variously as a bank, the ATO or Australia Post. Our reporter Cait Kelly explains how to guard against being fooled.
Not the news
Gay and heterosexual men prefer masculine-presenting men in leadership positions over those deemed more feminine, according to a University of Sydney study, suggesting that gay men themselves are “complicit” in penalising “feminine-presenting members of their own community”.
The world of sport
Football | Chelsea are ready to break the British transfer record after tabling a £105m bid for Enzo Fernández from Benfica, while Everton want the London club’s £45m-rated midfielder Conor Gallagher.
Tennis | Despite controversy over scheduling and crowd behaviour, the quality of play and the crowning of worthy champions made this an Australian Open to remember for the right reasons.
Golf | Rory McIlroy held off a final-day surge from Patrick Reed to win the Dubai Desert Classic for the third time, avoiding the need for a spicy playoff with ther American.
Media roundup
The “shock” 11% drop in Brisbane property prices in the past seven months is the top story in the Courier Mail, while the Herald Sun reports on the prospect of more interest rate hikes from the RBA. The legal action by Sally Rugg against teal MP Monique Ryan for a breach of workplace law is a lead in the Australian. And the ABC reports that federal, state and territory governments have agreed to new plan to tackle abuse and neglect of Indigenous children.
What’s happening today
Poverty hearing | A Senate community affairs committee hearing in south-west Sydney for its inquiry into poverty in Australia.
Ceda report | The Committee for Economic Development of Australia will release a report about the failure to break down gender workplace barriers.
Prison death | The Inquest into the death in custody in April 2021 of Bundjalung/Gomeroi man William Haines at Cessnock prison.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords and free Wordiply game to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
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