Morning everyone. Palestinians have been plunged back into their “worst nightmare” after Israel vowed to continue its new offensive on Gaza unless threats to its citizens were “removed” by Hamas.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have spoken on the phone overnight and have touted “enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability” from warmer relations and a short-term pause in Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
At home, tests have found an ultra-powerful opioid in wastewater, and there have been strong reactions to the Guardian’s revelations of attempts to intimidate pro-democracy dissidents who fled Hong Kong.
Australia
Antisemitism ‘weaponised’ | A prominent Jewish group has condemned a “disgusting” attempt to intimidate an exiled pro-democracy campaigner who fled to Adelaide from Hong Kong, with the federal opposition accusing a foreign actor of weaponising antisemitism.
Opioid alert | Deadly synthetic opioids up to 40 times more powerful than fentanyl have been detected in Australian wastewater for the first time, new research has found.
Dolphin danger | A new study finds that dolphins off the coast of Victoria, including critically endangered Burrunan, have among the world’s highest levels of forever chemicals banned decades ago.
Medicare moment | Medicare and bulk billing will figure prominently in the election campaign. From official government numbers to patient surveys, our data guru, Nick Evershed, takes a look at all the statistics.
Wieambilla bid | An American man accused of messaging the Train family whose delusional beliefs contributed to them killing three people in Wieambilla has objected to Queensland police testifying at his trial.
World
‘Enormous deals’ | Russia has agreed to a limited ceasefire on energy infrastructure in Ukraine, the White House said after a telephone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Follow the latest live. German MPs have agreed a 500bn spending boost to counter “Russia’s war of aggression”. Russia is using criminal networks to drive an increase in sabotage, Europol warns.
Peace shattered | Israel will continue its new offensive in Gaza until Hamas releases all hostages and “all threats to residents of the south [of Israel] are removed”, the country’s defence minister said, after hundreds were killed in a bloody end to the ceasefire. World governments and UN officials have expressed horror and dismay at the attacks. Palestinians say the resumption of hostilities is their worst nightmare come true.
Welfare cuts | Britain’s welfare secretary, Liz Kendall, has faced down angry Labour MPs to unveil drastic cuts to the UK’s benefits system that will leave many sick and disabled claimants worse off.
Share loss | Elon Musk’s vast stake in Tesla is no longer his most valuable asset as the electric car company continues to endure a sharp stock market sell-off. And: is Trump driving the US into recession?
Fake news | An Italian newspaper has said it is the first in the world to publish an edition entirely produced by artificial intelligence.
Full Story
The danger of Australia’s obsession with big cars
Transport and urban affairs reporter Elias Visontay tells Reged Ahmad why size doesn’t always equal safety and whether we need to reverse our attraction to SUVs.
In-depth
George Brandis has called it “as mad an idea as he has heard in along time” and Anthony Albanese called it a “thought bubble”. So is Peter Dutton really serious about wanting to hold a referendum on deporting criminals? Josh Butler lays out who said what and when.
Not the news
People in the modern world have always worried about getting enough sleep, but the TikTok generation have given the pursuit of shuteye a new name – sleepmaxxing – and are offering up a range of techniques such as a red light, mouth taping, and nasal dilators. But, asks Donna Lu, do any of them work?
Sport
Football | Australia’s first out gay male professional footballer, Josh Cavallo, has said he receives death threats every day and would find it difficult to encourage other footballers to come out due to the sport’s “toxic” environment. Matildas players Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Caitlin Foord are among the Arsenal players taking on Real Madrid in the Champions League this morning.
Olympics | Great Olympians including Usain Bolt and Mo Farah have thrown their weight behind Sebastian Coe to become the next IOC president ahead of a vote tomorrow in Greece.
Tennis | The player advocacy organisation founded by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil has launched a lawsuit against the governing bodies of professional tennis, marking an escalation in its battle to secure better rights for players.
Media roundup
Some children in New South Wales have been asked to resit the Naplan test after a technical problem, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Landlords in Victoria are about to be hit by another tax, the Herald Sun claims. Tasmania Labor claims the bosses behind the Spirit ferry fiasco might still get bonuses, according to the Mercury. The Courier Mail says the NRL has become the most-watched code and that will help the league deliver a $3bn TV deal.
What’s happening today
Canberra | Michele O’Neil of the ACTU and Andrew McKellar of the ACCI debate industrial relations at the National Press Club.
New South Wales | Fair Work hearing for NSW psychiatrists and state government.
Melbourne | Victorian premier’s literary awards at 8pm.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
