Morning everyone. An Australian lawyer and an Australian resident have a $200,000 bounty on their heads this morning courtesy of the Hong Kong government who are offering the reward for anyone who delivers them or six other pro-democracy activists to the not-so-tender care of the territory police. Penny Wong says the Australian government is “deeply disappointed” by the targeting of the exiles and it presents another challenge for relations with Beijing. Elsewhere, Pauline Hanson is upset about not getting an official say about how much she opposes the voice, while British prime minister Rishi Sunak has joined the “it’s not cricket” brigade.
Australia
Voices on voice | Pauline Hanson has threatened to send her own 2,000-word essay opposing the proposed Indigenous voice to parliament to Australian voters, unless a parliamentary committee includes her contributions in the official referendum pamphlet for the no side.
Hong Kong warrants | Melbourne lawyer Kevin Lam and Adelaide resident Ted Hui are among eight exiled Hong Kong democracy activists named in arrest warrants issued by the city state’s police accusing them of contravening the national security law and offering a reward of HK$1m ($200,000) per person.
Collaery claims | The secrecy restrictions around the trial of whistleblower Bernard Collaery were so severe, his lawyers claim, that he was forced to obtain government approval for his legal team to view evidence against him, transport documents around the country at exorbitant cost and compose drafts on commonwealth computers at pre-approved locations.
Mortgage pressure | First home buyers face paying 40% of their average disposable income on their mortgage if the Reserve Bank lifts the cash rate twice more this year as expected – possibly starting when the board gathers for its monthly meeting later today.
Victim’s anger | The daughter of a domestic violence murder victim, who a coroner found was failed by Queensland police, has backed efforts to ensure that the force can no longer investigate themselves in complaint cases.
World
Israel offensive | Israel has launched a major aerial and ground offensive into the West Bank city of Jenin, its biggest military operation in the Palestinian territory in years. At least eight Palestinians were killed and 50 injured. For Jenin it is reviving old traumas. Our analysis concludes that visiting intense violence on the territories will not solve the long-term problems the region faces.
Spacey ‘predator’ | Kevin Spacey was a “predator” who good-looking young men were warned about because it was well known he was “up to no good”, a court in the UK has heard.
Burning on 4 July | Millions of Americans are braced for further extreme weather conditions ahead of today’s 4 July holiday with a high of 46C in Phoenix, Arizona yesterday, while the UK had its hottest ever June.
Cancer blow | Nearly £10bn ($19bn) has been wiped off the stock market value of the Anglo-Swedish drug company AstraZeneca over concerns that a new lung cancer treatment may not be as successful as had been hoped.
Spirited Ashes debate | British prime minister Rishi Sunak has entered the second Test controversy by saying that Australia’s dismissal of Jonny Bairstow was “not in the spirit” of cricket. England coach Brendon McCullum says the incident will galvanise his team.
Full Story
The invisible labour behind George Orwell’s writing
Anna Funder talks to Jane Lee book about her new book, Author of Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life, which aims to shed light on how the celebrated author’s wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy, helped write some of his most famous works.
In-depth
According to a report last week, First Nations Victorians and ethnic minorities in the state were more likely to be fined for Covid lockdown rules. Almost a third of infringements in some regional areas involved Indigenous people, even though they make up just 1% of the population overall, leading human rights lawyers to describe it as clear evidence of racial profiling by police. Adeshola Ore finds out more.
Not the news
Henry Thomas (pictured) is perhaps best known as the boy who played Elliott in ET, but after a long time finding his path in acting he’s found success in the Netflix horror series Midnight Mass. Ahead of his appearance at Metro Comic-Con in Melbourne, he talks to Sian Cain about early fame, struggling to pay the bills and his reinvention.
The world of sport
Wimbledon | Women’s world No 1 Iga Świątek (pictured) brushed off illness and her Chinese opponent to ease into the second round as the tournament began. In the men’s, Novak Djokovic also won in straight sets and Australia’s Jordan Thompson produced one of the best victories of his career with a comeback win against Brandon Nakashima.
Tour de France | Jasper Philipsen of Belgium, riding for the Alpecin-Deceuninck team, laid down a marker by winning the 193.5km third stage of the tour after a bunch sprint finish in Bayonne.
Formula One | Red Bull boss Christian Horner has said he believes the team are better than they’ve ever been after Max Verstappen maintained their unbeaten run this season with a dominant win at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Media roundup
The Ashes is still front and centre for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age with a report story that Alex Carey and Pat Cummins plotted the controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow in the Lord’s Test. The deluge that caused a “muddy hell” on the eve of Queensland’s Big Red festival is the lead in the Courier Mail with some great pictures of utes coated in mud and dust.
What’s happening today
Economy | Reserve Bank board meeting and rate announcement at 2.30pm.
Sydney | NSW special commission of inquiry into historical LGBTQ+ deaths continues.
Diplomacy | Indonesian president Joko Widodo visits Sydney.
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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.
