Morning everyone. Standing last night with the red rock as his symbolic backdrop, Anthony Albanese hailed the Uluru statement from the heart as a “masterpiece”. He then made his own speech from the heart – an emotional plea for Australians to “lift the burden of history” by voting for the Indigenous voice to parliament this weekend.
Elsewhere, the IMF has sounded a warning about Australia’s massive household debt burden, and we’ve got all the latest on the Israel-Hamas war, including the shocking story of a family of five murdered in their home.
Australia
Debt leaders | Australian households have the highest debt burden of any in the world, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund, with an average of 15% of income devoted to paying off loans.
‘Just four days’ | Anthony Albanese joined traditional owners at Uluru last night to plead with Australians that they have “just four days” in which they can vote for the Indigenous voice to parliament proposal and win “a country at peace” with history. He was visibly moved by performances of traditional song and dance by senior Indigenous women who said the voice would help them make changes to their communities instead of accepting “what the government wants”.
Exclusive | Removing a condom during sex without consent – known as stealthing – will be considered rape and attract a maximum penalty of life in prison under sweeping laws to be introduced to Queensland parliament today.
El Niño bites | The charity Rural Aid says requests for mental health support, financial counselling and emergency livestock feed from Queensland’s farmers have doubled in a month as the drought-inducing effects of the El Niño weather system take hold in the state.
Primate threat | Orangutans on the island of Borneo continue to be illegally killed, likely in large numbers, despite the presence of projects to save the critically endangered primate, according to new Australian-led research.
World
‘Murdered in cold blood’ | Shocking stories have emerged about the killing of Israelis after Saturday’s incursion by Hamas militants, with details about the murder of one family of five – the Kedems (pictured) – released by Israel to highlight the massacres. A British-Israeli man who managed to escape has spoken about his horrific experience. Israel is believed to have identified most of the 100-150 hostages abducted by Hamas and has started notifying their families. The two sides continued to trade airstrikes and rocket attacks overnight after the incursion, with authorities in Gaza putting the death toll in the enclave so far at more than 900. Our live blog has all the latest, as the UN identifies “clear evidence” of war crimes on both sides of the conflict.
Exclusive | Dozens of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia claim they were tricked and exploited by recruiting agencies in Nepal and labour supply firms and then suffered under harsh conditions at Amazon’s warehouses.
Poland resignations | Two of Poland’s top military commanders have resigned just days before a crucial parliamentary election in a move that one analyst said was to show the military has no confidence in the ruling populist PiS party.
‘Remarkable’ pressure | China’s largest private developer, Country Garden, has warned it could default on its international debts because of “remarkable” pressure on sales, dealing another blow to the country’s embattled property industry.
Bugbear | The bedbug threat to public transport in London is “a real source of concern” after reports of outbreaks in Paris, the capital’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, has said. You can also read about the reaction of tube passengers to alleged bug sightings.
Full Story
How the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted
The bloody attack by Hamas has shocked the world – and left Israel reeling. As the country responds with devastating airstrikes, Peter Beaumont explains how the surprise attack unfolded and what could happen next.
In-depth
“We chose [our subjects] separately and then came together and realised they were the same,” says Deana Finka, who is beginning her HSC exams with her twin, Marissa, in a scene repeated all over Australia in the next month. But at their school, Picnic Point High in south-west Sydney, they are one of five sets of twins and two sets of triplets, making up a remarkable 10% of the year 12 cohort. Caitlin Cassidy went to find out what makes them all tick, what makes them bicker, and what makes them excited for the future.
Not the news
With a new album out on Friday, Australian pop star Troye Sivan talks to Shaad D’Souza about his new songs (“a bit self-deprecating”), moving to Melbourne (“I just wanted to go ballistic”) and finding his voice as a gay artist: “I always felt a little bit like I kind of had to stay in my lane – maybe like, alt-bedroom-sadboy-gay-pop, or whatever … [but] I’m just not as afraid as I was before.”
The world of sport
Cricket World Cup | England thrashed Bangladesh by 137 runs thanks mainly to Dawid Malan’s knock of 140 to get their title defence up and running, while Pakistan chased a record 345 to beat Sri Lanka.
Women’s A-League | Australia’s domestic women’s competition resumes this week against a backdrop of expectation and aspiration after a wildly successful home World Cup.
Rugby World Cup | The northern hemisphere powerhouses, Ireland and France, will be aiming to eliminate the southern giants of New Zealand and South Africa respectively this weekend.
Media roundup
As HSC exams get under way in New South Wales, the Sydney Morning Herald asks how long the pen and paper format will last. The Age speaks to the Melbourne schoolboys who are hoping to make thousands of dollars from the state’s container deposit scheme.
What’s happening today
Economy | Reserve Bank assistant governor Chris Kent delivers the Bloomberg address.
Housing | Airbnb releases findings from an Oxford Economics report into the short-term let business.
Infrastructure | National Roads and Traffic Expo at Darling Harbour in Sydney.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
