Morning everyone. Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces are “at the height of the battle in Gaza” amid ferocious building-to-building fighting in the Palestinian enclave. At home, Anthony Albanese will soon embark to China on one of the most important diplomatic missions of his prime ministership – our top story examines what’s at stake.
We also report on the bizarre reason leading academics have had to apologise to the big four consultancy firms, and why Richard Flanagan’s new novel is his best yet. Oh – and there’s a new Beatles single out.
Australia
‘Sincerely apologise’ | A group of academics will today offer an unreserved apology to the big four consultancy firms after admitting they used the Google Bard artificial intelligence tool to make false allegations of serious wrongdoing in a submission to a parliamentary inquiry.
Beijing bound | Anthony Albanese will raise human rights, trade and Australia’s concerns about the militarisation of the South China Sea when he meets Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday during the first visit to China by an Australian prime minister since 2016. As Albanese sets off for China, he signalled he would also raise the plight of the Australian writer Yang Hengjun, but in return will be pushed by Beijing to let them into the regional trade treaty known as the CPTPP.
Mushroom charges | Erin Patterson, the woman at the centre of the mushroom lunch poisoning, will appear at Morwell magistrates court this morning charged with the murder of three people and five counts of attempted murder, including her sister.
Palmer accused | The businessman Clive Palmer has been accused of attempting a “backdoor” strategy to delay court hearings into allegations that he acted fraudulently in dealing with investors in his Queensland resort.
Ayik arrested | Suspected Australian drug trafficker Hakan Ayik has been arrested in Turkey alongside 36 others involved in what officials called an “international armed organised crime” group.
World
‘Gaza surrounded’ | Israeli forces has surrounded Gaza City from several directions as their attack intensifies, according to the IDF, while prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military had pushed through the city’s outskirts and was “advancing”. The UN warned time was running out to prevent genocide in the enclave. US president Joe Biden has suggested a humanitarian “pause” in the fighting.
Storm Ciarán | At least seven people have been killed and dozens injured as Storm Ciarán batters north-west Europe with torrential rain and winds of up to 200km/h. Hundreds of schools in the UK were shut, roads were closed and buildings damaged.
‘I don’t recall’ | Eric Trump fell back on the “I don’t recall” defence used by his brother when testifying in the family’s fraud trial in New York. His father called the judge a “fraudster” in another fiery social media post.
Big profits | Novo Nordisk, Europe’s most valuable company and the maker of blockbuster weight-loss drug semaglutide, has reported a steep rise in profits as health systems around the world rush to use it to tackle obesity.
Buffy controversy | Allegations in a documentary that the popular American folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie misrepresented her Indigenous roots have rattled First Nations communities in Canada.
Full Story
Newsroom edition: the growing threat AI poses to journalism
An AI-generated poll on a third-party platform recently compromised the Guardian’s journalism. Lenore Taylor and Patrick Keneally discuss the threat the technology poses to journalism.
In-depth
The Beatles have released what is being described as their final new song together, entitled Now and Then. The AI-enhanced recording completes a series of Lennon-penned songs handed in demo form to Paul McCartney in 1994 by Yoko Ono, with “For Paul” written on the cassette. And while it might not supplant the classics in the Beatles canon, our critic writes that it is a poignant “act of closure” for the most celebrated band of all.
Not the news
A new book by Richard Flanagan is a serious literary event and our reviewer Tara June Winch makes the big claim that Question 7 is his finest yet. She writes that Question 7 is “a treatise on the immeasurability of life, reminiscent of the Japanese tradition of mono no aware, the psychological and philosophical sweep of Tolstoy, and enmeshed in a personal essay”, taking in the arc of his family’s life from Tasmania to Japan’s wartime death camps.
The world of sport
Cricket | Joe Root says there is “no better motivator” for England’s World Cup strugglers than the chance to knock Australia off their stride in tomorrow’s clash in Ahmedabad. Hosts India cruised into the semis overnight by demolishing Sri Lanka by 302 runs.
Football | Manchester United boss Eric ten Hag will continue as manager for the game at Fulham tomorrow but he must oversee an upturn in results after their disastrous season continued with a 3-0 Carabao Cup humiliation against Newcastle.
Tennis | Alex de Minaur has advanced to the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters after his last 16 opponent withdrew in a row over scheduling.
Media roundup
Police called in the country’s top sniffer dog to search the home of Erin Patterson in the alleged mushroom poisoning case, the Age says. Specialists have been called in to remove a deadly brown snake from a Gold Coast bar, the Bulletin reports, the third in two weeks. The West Australian has news of the Wiggles banning Bunbury council from using their song Hot Potato in its campaign against the homeless.
What’s happening today
Sydney | Qantas board faces a protest vote by shareholders at its annual general meeting.
Melbourne | Judgment in Save the Children’s case to repatriate 21 women and 12 children to Australia from refugee camps in north-east Syria.
Perth | Australian Electric Vehicle Association conference and expo.
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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.
