Good morning. Joe Biden has called Vladimir Putin a war criminal for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It comes amid reports that Russian forces shot and killed 10 people waiting for bread. Scott Morrison faces criticism over his aged-care sector bonus scheme, and rental tenants feel the heat.
The international court of justice in The Hague has ordered Russia to halt its invasion, saying it has not seen any evidence for the Kremlin’s justification of the war, namely that Ukraine was committing genocide against Russian speakers in the country’s east. The US has pledged an additional $800m in security assistance to Ukraine, after Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s empassioned address to the US Congress. Invoking Pearl Harbor and the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Ukraine president warned that “the destiny of our country is being decided”. In Mariupol Russian forces have been accused of “purposefully and cynically” bombing a theatre in which civilians were sheltering, city officials have reported. And Moscow has defaulted on a crucial bond payment of $117m which could bring serious economic hardship upon the Russian economy.
The Morrison government has been accused of “a lot of show and not a lot of go” over aged-care sector payments, with providers scathing about an $800 bonus scheme that would require the cash-strapped sector to pay out to staff before it receives official approval and reimbursements. The federal government announced in January that more than 265,000 staff would receive up to two cash instalments but that is reliant upon providers first paying out, then lodging applications for reimbursement. Only about 20% of businesses have done so, citing frustration at the “overly bureaucratic and slow process”.
Millions of eligible Australians have failed to get their third Covid-19 vaccine shot, as the booster rollout continues to lag behind most OECD nations. As many as 7 million Australians are eligible for boosters that they haven’t taken up yet, with epidemiologists calling for targeted media campaigns for 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds, amid perceptions of a reduced threat from the Omicron variant.
Australia
Tenancy rights groups are calling for better cooling requirements for rental properties, after a major report found overheated properties were impairing sleep for residents up to 45% of the time.
Australia could be holding critically low levels of fuel, a risk exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A report into the issue has not been released by the federal government, citing “cabinet-in-confidence”.
Victoria’s duck hunting season is under way, with wildlife veterinarians recording several deaths of threatened species, including the blue-winged shoveler. 2022 will be the longest season since 2018.
Two Russian oligarchs active in the Australian energy sector have been left off Australia’s local sanctions list, despite both being subjected to US sanctions in 2018 and one being sanctioned last week by the UK due to connections to Vladimir Putin.
The world
An eighth Mexican journalist has been shot dead, with press activists slamming the country’s “apathy” over the growing number of murders in 2022 alone. Armando Linares López worked to expose corruption but was shot outside his home in Zitácuro.
Germany has recorded its highest single-day Covid-19 infection tally yet, with 262,593 positive infections recorded during Wednesday; 269 people with the virus died.
A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake has struck off the Japanese coast of Fukushima, triggering a tsunami warning and plunging more than 2m homes into darkness. It’s 11 years since a tsunami devastated the town.
Microplastics from European rivers are finding their way to Arctic seas, research suggests. Researchers warn that better waste management is required so the health of the Arctic ecosystem is not compromised.
Recommended reads
For the Lismore antique dealer Simon Robinson, there’s little that’s replaceable after flooding destroyed artefacts, memories and local treasures. Victorian-era parasols, rare photos of Charles Kingsford Smith and, more personally, the only photos he had of his father. As a local curator, Jennifer Gall, tells Elias Visontay, “This loss of identity and personal treasures is doubly devastating after losing a house and other important possessions.” And with thousands of residents set to jettison lifetimes’ worth of memories, the cultural loss of the floods to the region could be felt for decades.
“There are atrocities documented on the Killing Times map that are literally unspeakable.” Indigenous affairs editor, Lorena Allam, read all 415 entries into the project over the past three years and recalls events so monstrous she “could not say the words out loud”. But living in these memories, and recounting them is also exhausting for the families and survivors. “Aboriginal people already know what happened and, in many cases, are tired of talking about it. Because sharing their pain does not guarantee the most important thing: justice.”
House prices rose a staggering 24% last year. And while this was largely expected, the numbers are no less intimidating, Greg Jericho argues. Nor is there any immediate let-up in sight: “If the relationship between home loans and property prices holds, we should expect an annual rise in prices to slow from the current 24% to just below 15% by June this year – but that would still be among the fastest growth this century.”
Gabbi Bolt fears her sense of humour might be too “silly” for Guardian Australia’s 10 funniest things on the internet. Unlikely. And if you came for Julie Andrews as you’ve never seen her before, you’ll likely stay for two drunk duelling pianists.
Listen
It’s a trial that has polarised the Northern Territory. The NT police officer Zachary Rolfe has been found not guilty of the shooting death of Kumanjayi Walker. On this episode of Full Story, reporter Nino Bucci unpacks the trial verdict.
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
Influential sports neurologist Dr Paul McCrory has not been a member of the AFL’s concussion-related working groups since 2021, the governing body has confirmed. McCrory resigned as chair of the Concussion in Sport Group in March after being accused of plagiarising stories in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Australia have missed a golden opportunity to take a decisive lead in the three-Test series against Pakistan, after heroics from Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, denied the visitors a first-ever Test win in Karachi.
Media roundup
The cost of the NSW government’s signature metro rail line has blown out by $2.2bn, the Sydney Morning Herald claims, after a reported surge in building costs. The US Federal Reserve has adopted an “aggressive stance” on interest rates, the Financial Review reports, which could have ramifications for borrowing costs in Australia. And the move to abandon mobile hospital voting booths means SA patients admitted to hospital from Thursday onwards will be exempt from the state election, the Advertiser writes.
Coming up
Victoria’s Crime Statistics Agency will release its 2021 figures.
Infrastructure Australia will release a major report into regional, rural and remote facility gaps.
And if you’ve read this far …
At its peak in 500BC, the Zapotec city of Monte Albán was an imposing site of pyramids and canals. But research suggests profound egalitarianism might have been the secret to the city’s flourishing – forging a 1,300-year period of sustained prosperity.
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