Morning everyone. Labor is confident it has Coalition support for a new law that will cap political donations to prevent the kind of big-spending campaign run by Clive Palmer in 2022 – and it may also hobble the teals.
A corruption watchdog has closed its investigation into allegations of racism in the Northern territory police, Australia has made a groundbreaking move at the UN to back Palestinian sovereignty, and the Socceroos had another disappointing night in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Australia
Weather warning | Thunderstorms seen at the Gabba last night (pictured) are expected to continue this weekend and may spread as warm conditions in the tropics push wet weather southwards.
Donation limit | Donation and electoral spending caps could pass parliament as early as this fortnight, with Labor confident the Coalition will help it block campaigns of the size run by Clive Palmer at the national level and teal independents at the local level.
NT police probe | A corruption watchdog has closed an investigation into racism within the Northern Territory police force’s elite tactical response group with no adverse findings despite uncovering historical evidence of race-based discrimination.
Battery fears | Battery-related fires are now happening almost every day – so why is that happening, and what can be done about it?
Road to USA 26 | Australia squandered four golden chances to score against Saudi Arabia but had to settle for a 0-0 draw in their qualifier in Melbourne last night. They will probably face a showdown in Saudi in June.
World
‘Terror creation factory’ | Chris Sidoti, Australia’s former human rights commissioner and a member of the UN’s inquiry into Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, has warned that the bombardment of Gaza is sowing the seeds for generations of conflict. It comes as a UN special committee has likened Israel’s bomabrdment of Gaza to “genocide”, and Australia voted for the first time in favour of a “permanent sovereignty” resolution for the Palestinian people.
Trump curb | Alarm over Donald Trump’s suggestion he would be willing to serve an unconstitutional third term as president has prompted a Democratic lawmaker to seek a formal resolution rejecting the idea. Follow our US coverage live here.
Riot fears | Police in Paris are braced for potential violence before this morning’s France-Israel football match, with police deploying one officer for every five ticket holders at the Stade de France.
Failed migration deal | Giorgia Meloni’s plans to process migrants in Albania is in tatters after judges ruled that asylum seekers must be transferred to Italy.
Ancient world | A hiker in Italy has stumbled across the first trace of what scientists believe to be an entire prehistoric ecosystem.
First pot is the deepest | Rod Stewart has said he is considering selling his five sports cars because there are so many potholes on the roads near his home in Essex.
Full Story
Newsroom edition: why the Guardian is no longer posting on Elon Musk’s ‘toxic’ X
Bridie Jabour talks to Guardian Australia editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor and deputy editor Patrick Keneally about the future of news online, and why the Guardian has quit X.
In-depth
The billionaire Adrian Portelli’s eye-catching stunt of offering members of his LMCT+ club the chance to win all five houses from The Block has drawn attention to the company’s business model. Portelli, known as the “Lambo guy” for his love of fast cars, has built a $70m business by offering paying members discounts and special store access. Tory Shepherd examines how it works.
Not the news
Why does your cake always stick in the tin? Why are they are not fluffy? Fear not. Nadine Ingram, the brains behind the cult Sydney cake shop Flour and Stone, shares her tips for better home baking, from getting the oven at the right temperature to making sure the butter isn’t too hard.
Sport
Cricket | Glenn Maxwell went wild with the bat then Xavier Bartlett ripped apart Pakistan’s top order as Australia dominated a seven-over Gabba Twenty20 slog to win by 29 runs.
Football | The Hamburg-based team St Pauli have become the first major football club to leave X, describing the social media site as a “hate machine” and expressing concern that it may influence the forthcoming German election.
NBA | Victor Wembanyama scored a career-high 50 points in a performance that left his San Antonio teammates and the opposition in awe.
Media roundup
A hard-up Sydney council is considering selling an entire street to a private school to raise funds, the Telegraph reports. The Courier Mail described the storm that hit south-east Queensland as a “wall of death” including 4cm hailstones and 113kmh winds.
What’s happening today
Technology | Inquiry into the use of AI by public sector entities CSIRO, Australian Signals Directorate and Digital Transformation Agency.
Adelaide | National public sector governance forum including Paul Brereton speaking about “the responsibility of public trust”.
Health | Private Health Australia briefing on the rising cost of healthcare.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
