Morning everyone. When a senior federal health official told Senate estimates last month that it was a matter of “extreme urgency” that youngsters should be prevented from vaping, it didn’t make many headlines. But a Guardian investigation today reveals that so many children are now addicted to nicotine from vaping that the government is planning a crackdown.
There is drama aplenty to come in Canberra later when Scott Morrison faces a censure motion, and there’s drama of a different kind building in Qatar where the Socceroos are preparing for the match of their lives.
Australia
Exclusive | Experts have warned that many children did not know they were consuming nicotine through vaping until it was too late amid rising evidence of an explosion in addiction among children and adolescents. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, says vaping doubled between 2016 and 2019, and he will today announce measures to counter the growing habit.
Covid U-turn | New South Wales residents wrongly penalised for Covid breaches say it is “crazy” that it took a lengthy and costly court case to force the state government to withdraw 33,000 invalid fines for offences it now concedes were too vague.
Morrison vote | Labor is on track to win its censure motion against Scott Morrison today over the secret ministries scandal, and could be joined by Liberal MP, Bridget Archer, who said she was “inclined” to support the vote.
WA ‘embarrassment’ | Western Australia’s treatment of Aboriginal children in detention is an international embarrassment, an Indigenous human rights expert and member of the United Nations said.
World Cup | Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has expressed “massive concerns” for the state of football development in Australia, laying down the gauntlet to the national governing body on the eve of the Socceroos’ decisive World Cup group match with Denmark.
World
‘Christian minority’ | England and Wales are now minority Christian countries, according to the 2021 census, with less than half the population describing themselves as Christian. It also shows that Leicester and Birmingham have become the first UK cities to have “minority majorities”.
Trump blow | Investigations into whether Donald Trump broke laws as he sought to overturn the 2020 election results have been boosted by court rulings that mean his allies will be forced to testify before grand juries in Washington DC and Georgia.
‘Racist’ Pope | Pope Francis has sparked fury in Russia over an interview in which he suggested that non-Christian members of its armed forces showed more cruelty in Ukraine than ethnic Russian soldiers.
Space rocks | Researchers say they have discovered two new minerals – and potentially a third – after analysing a slice of a 15-tonne meteorite which landed in Somalia.
Blind courage | Matt Formston, a 44-year-old Sydney-born surfer, is hoping to ride the monster 9-metre waves on the Portuguese coast this winter. But there’s one difference between him and all the other hopefuls: he is blind.
Full Story
How to fix Australia’s insurance crisis
Extreme weather events are making more and more homes uninsurable across Australia. Laura Murphy-Oates speaks to reporter Christopher Knaus and insurance analyst Karl Mallon about how to fix Australia’s insurance problem.
In-depth
As China’s security apparatus stepped up its efforts to stamp out protests against the country’s strict zero-Covid policy, Beijing announced it would be accelerating Covid vaccinations for older people. Despite low daily case numbers by international standards, there are fears that many people could die if the virus is allowed to spread because take-up of the vaccine has been poor and immunity to new strains is low.
Not the news
Led by and starring people with cerebral palsy, SBS’s new comedy Latecomers confronts sex and disability head on to create a show which challenges us to think about human desires and he way society makes some people feel invisible. The show was the brainchild of Angus Thompson and collaborator Emma Myers, who also has cerebral palsy. “I wanted to give an accurate depiction of what it’s like to have a disability and try and have a romantic relationship,” Thompson says.
The world of sport
World Cup | Senegal have qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ecuador, while the Netherlands are also through after beating the hosts 2-0. Follow our live blogs for the latest on USA v Iran and England v Wales.
‘Emotional’ Danes | Kasper Hjulmand admitted that emotions are running “very high” in the Denmark camp ahead of their crunch tie with Australia in Qatar.
Cricket | More than 50 professional cricketers from around the world have said they have been the victims of racial discrimination within the sport, according to a global survey.
Media roundup
The ABC claims a scoop that Anthony Albanese will cap wholesale gas prices as pressure mounts on the government to intervene in the market. Canberra Times takes stock of what the Victorian election tells us about voting trends and concludes that the Liberals must split with the Nationals and move to the centre ground. The Age reports that house prices are tipped by ANZ economists to fall further and rents are set to go higher as rising interest rates take their toll on the property market. The Courier Mail says an alternative housing survey predicts the worst is over and that prices will recover next year. But it has also been speaking to the boss of a large building company in Brisbane who blames heavy rain and a shortage of labour and materials for a spate of bankruptcies in the industry. The West Australian says the Australian Nursing Federation could be suspended if they go on strike.
What’s happening today
Abbott unveiled | The parliament of Australia will unveil its official portrait of former prime minister Tony Abbott, created by Johannes Leak.
Murdoch hearing | A case management hearing is taking place in Sydney in Lachlan Murdoch’s defamation case against the operators of Crikey.
Portaloo bomber | Jamie Smith who, with his brother Raymond, went on a bombing spree targeting portaloos, cars and a washing machine, will be sentenced in Melbourne.
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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.
