Good morning. Devastating wildfires in Hawaii have been declared a major disaster after at least 36 people were killed as a blaze engulfed the historic town of Lahaina. US officials are warning that the death toll may rise further still with desperate searches for survivors and mass evacuations underway.
Back home, a climate activist from the Disrupt Burrup Hub group claims he was pulled over at gunpoint by Western Australian police – the day before he was charged over a protest at the City Beach home of the Woodside chief executive Meg O’Neill.
And World Cup fever has well and truly taken hold across Australia – and may help pave the way for a future generation of footballing stars.
Australia
Firearm drawn | A Western Australian climate activist (pictured) charged over Woodside protest says police pulled him over at gunpoint the day before, in an incident expected to be reviewed by police authorities.
Empty shelves | Parents are struggling to find medicines for their children as cold and flu cases continue to rise this winter, with supplies of children’s antibiotics and painkillers particularly in short supply.
‘Revisit the writing tone’ | Home Affairs officials told researchers to water down a key report that threatened to undermine the government’s use of “extraordinary” counter-terror powers, documents show.
Homes for the vulnerable | New South Wales housing minister Rose Jackson concedes that the social housing situation is “desperate” as the waitlist for those most in need doubles in a decade.
The Marinus Link | The future looks shaky for a key Tasmania-to-mainland power transmission project following a $2bn cost blowout, amid fears the uncertainty may effect the fate of other major energy projects.
World
Russia-Ukraine war | Ukrainian forces have made gains and are encircling Russian troops in Bakhmut, says Kyiv; minister vows to act over claims of sexual harassment in Ukraine’s army.
Hawaii wildfires | Emergency crews are mounting desperate searches for survivors in Maui after at least 36 people died in ferocious wildfires that have ravaged the historic town of Lahaina.
There and back again | Virgin Galactic’s reusable rocket-powered space plane has successfully flown tourists to space for first time – including the first mother-daughter duo to venture to space together.
‘You have divided Manipur’ | Opposition parties have walked out of the Indian parliament in protest at the refusal of the prime minister, Narendra Modi, to address ethnic violence in the state of Manipur.
‘It is simply not true’ | Kristin Harila has denied that her team climbed over a dying sherpa to reach the summit of K2 in her bid to become the world’s fastest climber to scale all peaks above 8,000m.
Full Story
Newsroom edition: nuclear power and Peter Dutton’s politics of diversion
Peter Dutton is ramping up his calls for nuclear power in Australia. The opposition leader is now saying nuclear energy is a safe, cheap and consistent power source, which will help Australia transition from fossil fuels towards a zero emissions economy. But his claims are not backed up by the facts. Gabrielle Jackson speaks to Lenore Taylor and Mike Ticher about why nuclear power is not the answer to our energy transition.
In-depth
All around Australia, World Cup fever has taken hold as the public embrace the Matildas’ bid for glory. The Fifa Women’s World Cup co-hosts’ team has captured public imagination, from tattoos to gingerbread and baby onesies. The emotional celebrations of the past few weeks have made Matildas players household names – and are prompting some girls ask their parents for extra football training. Plus: How well do you know the Matildas? Test your knowledge in this quiz.
Not the news
Spanning 1933 to 2181, the Hummingbird Effect is an ambitious novel exploring the future of humanity through the lives of a few women, zeroing in on capitalism, AI and violence. If this sounds like a lot, it is. But there is incredible ambition in the way that Kate Mildenhall (pictured) exerts herself as a writer in this genre-defying novel.
The world of sport
Women’s World Cup | We preview the quarter-finals as readers give their takes ahead of kick off; the Matildas are finally getting the attention they deserve; England’s Lauren James given two-match ban for stamp.
Football | Harry Kane ponders Bayern Munich move; Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola says it is impossible to repeat last season’s treble.
Cycling | American Chloé Dygert beats Australian Grace Brown by six seconds to win the elite women’s road time trial at the UCI World Cycling Championships in Scotland.
Tennis | In news just breaking, Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of this month’s US Open.
Media roundup
Australian company Canstruct was paid more than $300m by the federal government to care for refugees and asylum seekers on Nauru last financial year – even as the number of people on the island dwindled to a few dozen, reports the Age. The NSW government’s plans to ban gay conversion therapy will be expanded to include making it illegal to change or suppress a person identifying as trans or gender diverse, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Anthony Albanese will link lowering emissions with mitigating the risks of extreme drought, bushfires and storms as he makes an announcement on long-term drought resilience programs, says the Australian.
What’s happening today
ACT | Public hearing scheduled for the inquiry into the Family Law Amendment Bill 2023.
Media | News Corp’s full-year fiscal 2023 results due to be released.
ACT | Public hearing scheduled in the inquiry into Workforce Australia Employment Services.
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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.
