Morning everyone. Jacinta Allan is warning that the battle for abortion rights must continue as conservative forces pose “real and genuine threats to the protections women have fought for and won” amid “frightening” debate in South Australia and Queensland.
Speaking of Queensland, can Steven Miles pull off an upset this weekend? Plus: Tucker Carlson makes a barely believable speech at a Trump rally.
Australia
Screen spray | A descendant of the artist Frederick McCubbin has backed the Western Australian Museum’s decision to buy the perspex screen used to protect one of his most famous paintings but on to which activists spray-painted the Woodside logo.
Queensland election | Queensland premier Steven Miles has gone from underdog to attack dog (more on that below), putting David Crisafulli on the back foot. If the LNP frontrunner wins in Queensland at the weekend’s election, the party’s cabinet ministers will be assigned targets – and face consequences if they fail to meet the grade. But experts warn that setting KPIs could create perverse incentives.
WiseTech | Richard White, the embattled founder, chief executive and major shareholder of Australian tech giant WiseTech, has stood down from the company “with immediate effect” after weeks of damaging revelations about his personal life hammering the company’s reputation and share price.
Scratchy summer | Dog owners have been warned about a tick boom unfolding along the east coast, with some experts predicting an unusually bad season for pets.
World
Carlson rant | Tucker Carlson warmed up the crowd at a Donald Trump rally with a barely believable, borderline creepy speech likening how the Republican presidential candidate could mete out punishment to Kamala Harris like an angry father spanking his daughter. Trump said he would fire Jack Smith, the justice department special counsel prosecuting him for allegedly plotting to overturn the 2020 election, “in two seconds”. On the Democrat side, reports say Beyoncé might appear with Harris in Houston to highlight abortion rights.
‘Sowing barbarism’ | World leaders pledged US$1bn in aid for Lebanon at a conference in Paris hosted by Emmanuel Macron who warned the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, about “sowing barbarism”. At least 17 people including several children were earlier killed in Israeli bombing of a school turned shelter in the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza, medics in the territory said.
Climate ‘crunch’ | The huge cuts in carbon emissions now needed to end the climate crisis mean it is “crunch time for real”, according to the UN’s environment chief. In better news, the US power grid has added 20GW of battery capacity in the past four years.
Letby rejection | Lucy Letby, the British former nurse serving 12 life sentences for murdering babies in her care, has been refused permission to appeal against a conviction for attempting to murder a baby girl.
Trudeau pledge | Justin Trudeau has insisted that he will lead his Liberal party into the next election, dismissing a request by some party members to not run for a fourth term.
Full Story
Newsroom edition: the abortion culture war and its consequences
Bridie Jabour talks to the editor-in-chief, Lenore Taylor, and the national news editor, Josephine Tovey, about the consequences of abortion turning into a culture war.
In-depth
Those who know Queensland’s premier, Steven Miles, well say he can at times appear brow-beaten and exhausted by the daily grind of politics. He has admitted sometimes being “drained” by the constant spotlight and envious of colleagues who draw energy from it.
But on the campaign trail, Miles has come alive, writes Ben Smee.
Not the news
The Australian punk band Amyl and the Sniffers are about to begin a major British tour that suggests they are on the brink of transforming critical acclaim and cult status into something much bigger. It won’t do them any harm that our UK music critic has selected their new album, Cartoon Darkness, as his album of the week. They’re not breaking any new ground musically, he writes, but they are “very good at what they do”.
The world of sport
T20 | The Women’s Big Bash League starts its 10th season on Sunday with Australian and international stars, a leaner calendar and fresh ideas to boost exposure.
Football | Manchester United’s reunion with José Mourinho and Fenerbahçe is the highlight of this morning’s Europa League games. Follow it live.
Cricket | Thirteen wickets fell on the first day of the third and deciding Test between Pakistan and England in Rawalpindi but although 10 of those were English in a first innings of 267, the hosts stuttered to 73-3 at the close.
Media roundup
The Australian examines the Tasmania ferries fiasco, calling it the country’s “biggest-ever infrastructure stuff-up”. The LNP has revealed the costings for its policies and plans a shakeup of the public service, the Courier Mail reports. An animal welfare lawyer has criticised a council for putting down 21 dogs at its animal pound due to an outbreak of highly infectious parvovirus, according to the Canberra Times.
What’s happening today
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting | King Charles to give the keynote speech at 9am AEST.
Hobart | Qantas holds an annual general meeting amid a strike threat.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
