Good morning. Today Guardian Australia launches Out in the Cold, a 12-month investigation into homelessness deaths, which found these vulnerable Australians die, on average, three decades prematurely.
Our examination of 600 cases begins with Roger Davies, 42, a rough sleeper and army veteran who died with fractures to nine ribs. Despite this, police concluded there was “no evidence of suspicious circumstances” and he was sent to a pauper’s grave without his family being notified for more than two years.
There is “never going to be any closure”, Davies’ family says. His treatment in life and death exposes the indifference to Australia’s homeless life expectancy crisis – fuelled by critical housing shortages and failures of the justice system.
We also have the latest from the Middle East, and new details of a government review of alleged supermarkets’ price gouging.
Australia
Out in the Cold | Roger Davies died with nine broken ribs. Police deemed his death non-suspicious and sent him to a pauper’s grave.
Australians experiencing homelessness are dying at an average age of 44, worse than any other disadvantaged group in the country.
Supermarkets | The commonwealth’s review of alleged price gouging by the major supermarkets will examine whether suppliers are too scared of retribution to raise complaints.
Energy | One in five Australians live in areas that lack “basic” consumer electricity protections, new research has found – including through rules against disconnecting customers on life support.
Leader mourned | “Like Aboriginal children the country over, Lowitja O’Donoghue was raised to be a servant. She wanted more, declaring: ‘I decided that I wanted to be somebody,’” writes Stuart Rintoul. O’Donogue died aged 91.
Emissions cap | Labor has unveiled its long-awaited proposal for fuel efficiency standards for new cars, claiming it will save drivers $1,000 a year at the bowser.
World
Middle East | A third wave of US and UK strikes hit 36 Houthi targets in Yemen, prompting a vow from the militant group to continue attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. But the US says it was just the beginning of a sustained response. Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes killed scores more in Gaza amid fears the operation could spread to Rafah, where 1m people are sheltering.
US presidency | Joe Biden easily captured the South Carolina Democratic primary with 95% of the vote, remarking that the state was on track to “make Donald Trump a loser again” in the 2024 election.
Immigration | The British Home Office threatened a Portuguese plumber, who has lived legally in the UK for more than 20 years, with deportation after he struggled with his application to remain in the country.
Namibia | President Hage Geingob of Namibia, who was serving his second term, died of cancer in a hospital in the capital, Windhoek. He was 82.
Brexit | A British business department report trumpeting the trade perks of leaving the EU on Brexit’s fourth anniversary does not match the reality faced by companies, industry associations said.
Full Story
The fight over Māori rights
New Zealand’s coalition government has announced it will repeal or review at least a dozen policies that provide for Māori, saying services should be provided on the basis of need, not race. But critics say the move is using fear to roll back decades of progress for Indigenous people. On the eve of Waitangi Day, the Guardian’s New Zealand correspondent Eva Corlett, along with Professor Margaret Mutu from the University of Auckland, explain why the government has chosen this moment for reform – and how Māori are pushing back.
In-depth
The market for digital mental health apps is a rapidly growing one, with the need for sophisticated digital alternatives to conventional face-to-face therapy well-established.
While tech companies hope to address some of the barriers that prevent people from seeking therapy, there’s growing worry about privacy issues and ineffectiveness, and the UK is examining whether such tools need regulating.
Not the news
When a Melbourne man claimed he survived the Holocaust by becoming a child mascot for the Nazis, he attracted worldwide attention – and scepticism. Now a documentary reveals new startling truths about the life of Alex Kurzem, the former TV repair man, who was retired and eking out a life on the poverty line in a Melbourne suburb when his story emerged. Kelly Burke’s review of the upcoming SBS premiere examines the new evidence – and unanswered questions.
The world of sport
Premier League | Arsenal beat Liverpool 3-1; Wolves beat Chelsea 4-2; Manchester United beat West Ham 3-0; Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest went 1-1.
Cricket | England bowled India out and need 399 to win the second Test in Visakhapatnam after day three.
Ramla Ali | The boxer and model, 34, talks about escaping war in Somalia, creating Sisters Club, appearing on the cover of Vogue and her plans to become a world champion.
Media roundup
The NSW treasurer warned that Sydney could experience the type of poverty seen in San Francisco, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The Australian’s Newspoll says Anthony Albanese has yet to see a bounce from voters for his revised stage-three tax cut plans. Five people were killed in a horror night on Northern Territory roads, NT News says.
What’s happening today
Stage three | Grattan Institute analysis says the one-third of Australians who don’t pay tax – the group most struggling financially – miss out on cost-of-living relief in the federal government’s tax plan.
Wildlife | A man accused of throwing a live chicken to an alligator in front of families at a Hunter wildlife park is due in court.
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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.
