Good morning. NSW health workers will go on a statewide strike, while the country is waiting for Scott Morrison to call the federal election.
Anthony Albanese has called on the government to expel Russian diplomats, saying the “sickening abuses being carried out by Russian forces” in Ukraine must trigger “immediate diplomatic consequences”. The Labor leader suggested a model in which the ambassador, Alexey Pavlovsky, would probably be able to remain in place, but some of his subordinates would be forced to leave. To date, the government has stopped short of expelling diplomats to keep open direct lines of communication. Government sources said expulsions had “always been on the table” and the latest reports of atrocities would be taken into account.
Fresh sanctions targeting Russian banks and elites and trading have been announced by the US, UK and EU. US sanctions also target two daughters of Vladimir Putin, as well as Russia’s biggest public and private banks, as part of a western effort to starve funds to Putin’s war machine. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán gave a press conference in which he said he had offered to broker talks with Putin aimed at a ceasefire, while stopping short of agreeing to extend EU sanctions against oil and gas shipments. Russia’s military has now shifted its focus to the east of Ukraine, with authorities warning residents to leave “while the opportunity still exists” before a massive assault.
The sale and promotion of e-cigarettes to young people must be banned, the Australian Council on Smoking and Health says, after the most comprehensive review yet of vaping harms, which found conclusive evidence of poisoning, injuries, burns and immediate toxicity through inhalation. The review found strong evidence that e-cigarettes increased tobacco smoking uptake in non-smokers and limited evidence that nicotine e-cigarettes help smokers quit cigarettes.
Australia
An inquest into the 2017 disappearance of Northern Territory man Paddy Moriarty has heard secret police recordings of a man allegedly saying: “I struck him on the fucking head and killerated the bastard … basherated him.”
Michael Towke claims a serving federal cabinet minister texted him ‘I believe you’ and ‘do what you need to do, just be careful’ after he alleged that in 2007 Morrison suggested he couldn’t be trusted because he was Lebanese.
People who listen to podcasts are more likely to be curious, more open to experience and less neurotic on average than non-listeners, a study suggests.
The world
Sri Lanka’s 22 million residents are facing the imminent threat of starvation as the country’s economic crisis continues to worsen and threaten food security, a politician has warned. The economic crisis has also deteriorated into a medical crisis, with the top medical union declaring a national health emergency over a life-threatening shortage of drugs.
Scientists have developed a blood test that can predict whether someone is at high risk of a heart attack, stroke, heart failure – or dying from one of these conditions within the next four years.
Boris Johnson has said he does not “think that biological males should be competing in female sporting events” amid the fallout from his decision not to ban conversion practices for people questioning their gender.
German police have raided alleged neo-Nazi cells across the country. Four people were arrested after more than 1,000 officers swooped on homes of 50 suspects.
Recommended reads
“The RBA’s decade without a rate rise is coming to an end – but the market’s expectations are absurd,” writes Greg Jericho. “A 3% cash rate, let alone one next year, would likely destroy the economy and the housing market. A 3.25% cash rate would effectively see the current average discount mortgage rate go from 3.45% to around 6.6%. But such a rate would be rather more detrimental than in 2012 when the rate was last that high. It would actually be the most crushing rate we’ve experienced since 1990s’ 17% rates.”
Zoë Coombs Marr’s character Dave has woken from a coma and everything since 2016 is new to him. He has missed the #MeToo movement, JK Rowling’s pivot from beloved to controversial, the entire pandemic and thousands of new cultural references. Coombs Marr’s new show, The Opener, asks how would Dave respond to all of that? “A lot has happened while Dave has been in a coma, but a lot has also happened in the months since Coombs Marr began trialling this show earlier in the year. It is little wonder then, that The Opener lacks the polish I’ve come to expect from her shows,” writes Alexandra Neill. “Despite its faults, this is still a show worth seeing. Coombs Marr’s absurdist and theatrical approach to standup is refreshing.”
The ABC journalist and comedian Ange Lavoipierre has reached a kind of peace with the internet. “For me, the internet is like a fetid lake that looks uninviting from the shore – but surprise! The temperature is perfect. I enjoy swimming in the lake, but my enjoyment is undermined by the fact that I am often forced to swim for long periods of time … sometimes I have to swim to shore without a lifejacket.” Though the wading is tough, Lavoipierre has always found a laugh. Here are the top 10 funniest things on the internet that she could think of.
Listen
With the election due to be called at any moment, Scott Morrison has denied allegations from Liberal MPs that he is a bully, and that he previously made “racial comments” about a Liberal candidate. In today’s Full Story, Guardian Australia’s political editor, Katharine Murphy, speaks to Laura Murphy-Oates about what’s behind this revolt, and what it could mean for the election.
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
Australia’s World Cup-winning cricketers would welcome Ash Barty’s return to cricket – but only on the three-time major winner’s terms.
Five-time European champions Barcelona will pay their first visit to Australia to play an A-League All Stars team in a friendly in Sydney next month, the club announced.
Media roundup
China has accused the US, the UK and Australia of trying to build an “Asia-Pacific version of Nato”, reports the ABC, after the three countries announced that they will develop hypersonic weapons via the Aukus alliance. Scott Morrison has been heckled in a pre-election visit to a pub in Newcastle by a pensioner who accused him of breaking election promises, reports the Age.
Coming up
Australia’s top medical researchers say climate change is an immediate threat to public health that demands urgent action.
Clive Palmer will address the National Press Club.
And if you’ve read this far …
If the upcoming French election gives Australians any indication of what’s ahead – our politicians could be beamed to multiple locations at once as holograms. The image of the radical left presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who is third in polls, was projected at 11 rallies across France.
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