Morning everyone. Questions about Qantas’s influence in the corridors of power are back in the spotlight today. Our top story shows that the regulators responsible for keeping tabs on the airline are among those C-suite bosses granted access to the airline’s invitation-only Chairman’s Lounge. We’re also reporting on our poll tracker showing the Indigenous voice no campaign ahead in all states; and how the Earth’s natural resilience has been so damaged it’s like a patient with very high blood pressure at risk of keeling over.
Australia
Assange plea | More than 60 Australian federal politicians have called on the US to drop the prosecution of Julian Assange, warning of “a sharp and sustained outcry in Australia” if the WikiLeaks founder is extradited from the UK.
Qantas question | Some of Australia’s top regulators – including the competition boss Gina Cass-Gottlieb and corporate watchdog chair Joseph Longo – are members of Qantas’s invitation-only Chairman’s Lounge, a luxurious and controversial perk the airline gives to influential policymakers, Guardian Australia can reveal.
Voice polls | The proposed Indigenous voice to parliament is looking increasingly like being rejected in next month’s referendum, polls suggest. Models estimate that the no campaign is leading in every state. Support for a yes vote has dropped by about 21 percentage points nationally over the past year, our poll tracker shows.
Grounded in Greenland | Two people on board a cruise ship run aground in Greenland’s Alpefjord national park have Covid-19, according to an Australian passenger on board. It is hoped the Ocean Explorer, which has mainly Australian, New Zealand, UK and US passengers on board, could be freed soon.
Trans inquests | The Victorian coroner will examine the apparent suicides of five people who were undergoing a gender affirmation process before they died, with the aim of helping to prevent further deaths.
World
Earth in peril | Earth’s life support systems have been so damaged that the planet is “well outside of the safe operating space for humanity”, scientists have warned. Six out of nine “planetary boundaries” such as climate, water and wildlife diversity had been broken because of human activity, greatly reducing its resilience and leaving it at risk of a “heart attack”.
Libya devastation | International aid is slowly starting to reach the devastated Libyan port city of Derna after Storm Daniel hit the country’s northern coast, but corpses still litter the streets and drinking water is scarce. As questions are raised over how 20,000 people died, it shows what happens when the climate crisis meets a failed state.
Vietnam fire | At least 56 people have died after a fire swept through a nine-floor apartment building in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.
‘Long and painful’ | Donald Trump has been encouraging influential House Republicans such as Marjorie Taylor Greene to impeach Joe Biden over unproven corruption allegations relating to his son Hunter.
Apple ban | The iPhone 12 is facing a ban and potential recall in France after a report – contested by Apple – that the smartphone can expose users to too much radiation.
Full Story
Have the Greens lost the fight for renters’ rights?
The Greens have agreed to support Labor’s $10bn housing bill but haven’t extracted any support for renters in return. Paul Karp tells Jane Lee why the party did a deal with Labor and how they are still chasing renters’ votes.
In-depth
Today, AFL legend Michael Long will lead a crowd of voice supporters through Yass as they begin their the final leg of their so-called Long Walk from Melbourne to Parliament House before the referendum. In an open letter to Anthony Albanese, they plead with him to keep positive in the face of negativity around the vote. They point out that one of Albanese’s predecessors as prime minister, John Howard, has asked Australians to “maintain the rage” against this voice. “This isn’t about rage,” they write. “It’s about love. It’s about listening. It’s about giving Indigenous people power over their destiny, so their culture can be a gift to this country for evermore.”
Not the news
Philip Khoury, the renowned Australian patissier and head pastry chef at Harrods in London, has come up with a trio of sweet baked goods without using eggs or butter. They include dairy-free and egg-free madeleines, eggless creme brulee, and banana bread.
The world of sport
Tennis | Alex de Minaur (pictured) and Thanasi Kokkinakis have both succumbed in the “tennis Ashes” as Great Britain team took an unassailable 2-0 lead against Australia in their Davis Cup finals group stage clash.
AFL | Demons fans are yearning to see a premiership in person after the Covid-hit victory in 2021. But Carlton stand in their way tomorrow night.
Rugby World Cup | Organisers have bowed to pressure and will re-record the pre-match national anthems after they faced widespread criticism across the tournament’s opening weekend.
Cricket | It was New Zealand’s turn to feel the brilliance of Ben Stokes as he hit 182 for England to help set the Kiwis 369 to win the teams’ ODI series.
Media roundup
The Sydney Morning Herald and Age claim that yes campaigners have been told to tell voters that the no campaign is vilifying Aboriginal people. Police in Victoria have seized two 44-gallon drums in a tiny rural town sent from the US and labelled as vegetable oil but which allegedly contained liquid methamphetamine worth $100m, the Herald Sun reports. A plan to raise the Wyangala dam in NSW has been scrapped because the “benefits are too low”, the Central Western Daily claims. Brisbane Tigers, the NRL expansion hopefuls, claim they could become one of the league’s richest clubs thanks to a $135m asset portfolio, the Courier Mail says.
What’s happening today
Voice to parliament | Prominent no supporter Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to address the National Press Club.
Canberra | Senate inquiry into the Commonwealth Games cancellation publishes its interim report at 3pm.
Sydney | Asic accuses Westpac of insider trading in a $12bn interest rate swap transaction for the privatisation of Ausgrid by the NSW govt.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here. And finish your day with a three-minute snapshot of the day’s main news. Sign up for our Afternoon Update newsletter here.
Prefer notifications? If you’re reading this in our app, just click here and tap “Get notifications” on the next screen for an instant alert when we publish every morning.
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.
