Good morning. Australia’s drug regulator received two reports of child deaths after vaccination against Covid-19 that turned out to be hoaxes, according to Therapeutic Goods Administration documents obtained under FoI. They detail nine deaths in children ranging from five to 17 years old following Covid vaccination in Australia but the TGA emphasises that it is not certain the deaths were caused by vaccination.
Meanwhile, a prominent BBC presenter has been suspended over claims he solicited explicit pictures from a teenager, and England keep their Ashes hopes alive with a Test three win.
Australia
Robodebt report | At least seven public servants were criticised in the robodebt royal commission report released last week, for conduct including misleading cabinet and the commonwealth ombudsman, but it is not yet clear what the consequences will be.
Covid-19 | A report made to Australia’s drug regulator in January 2022 that a seven-year-old boy died from “an adverse event after immunisation” with an unspecified brand of Covid vaccine was found to be a hoax. So was a separate report about a six-year-old’s death.
Misinformation | Facebook and Instagram want to avoid exacerbating harms around the Indigenous voice referendum, said the company’s Australian policy head, as the social media giant beefs up protections on misinformation, abuse and mental health ahead of the national vote.
Plastic | The plastics consumed yearly by Australians have a greenhouse emissions impact equivalent to 5.7m cars – more than a third of the cars on Australia’s roads, new analysis suggests.
Gambling | Australians will soon be able to ban themselves from all online gambling companies in every state and territory using just one form, almost five years after legislation was introduced to parliament.
World
BBC | The BBC has suspended a prominent male presenter and reported them to the police over allegations that he paid a teenager for sexually explicit images. The star has not been named.
France | A brutal arrest during a peaceful march against police violence put French law and order under the spotlight again. It came as the government banned fireworks outside authorised displays during the Bastille Day holiday weekend, fearing further unrest.
Secret interests | Several dozen British MPs currently own stakes in publicly listed companies, the Guardian can reveal – shareholdings that until now have been in effect secret. The investigation raises questions about possible conflicts of interest.
Russia-Ukraine war | Those close to the Ukraine president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, are increasingly less hopeful about the country establishing a concrete path to Nato membership, as leaders of the western military alliance prepare to assemble in Lithuania this week.
Acropolis crowd | More than 25 centuries after it was built and nearly 200 years after it began attracting tourists, the Acropolis will adopt crowd control policies to ease the very modern plague of soaring visitor numbers.
Full Story
Crude, cruel and costly: robodebt revealed
The royal commission into the unlawful robodebt scheme has handed down its findings and unnamed individuals will be referred for criminal and civil prosecution. Reporters Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes explain what we now know about what went wrong with robodebt, including the harm it caused and who was responsible.
In-depth
Rice, Japan’s traditional staple, is losing the battle with more convenient and cheaper alternative foods – especially bread, the Observer reports. Annual consumption of rice in Japan peaked in 1962; by 2020, per-capita consumption had more than halved.
“The quality of bread and an increasing number of bakeries make it easier to choose bread over rice,” says Yukari Sakamoto, a food writer. “And rice isn’t cheap, so having bread or noodles is more affordable for a lot of people.”
Not the news
Often dismissed by the medical establishment, people with complex illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) and long Covid – where research is moving at a snail’s pace – are taking the hunt for treatments into their own hands. For two women who suffer from CFS, experiencing short-term remissions from their debilitating symptoms – which happened by chance when they took probiotic supplements – has prompted their own investigation of whether the gut microbiome holds the key to their conditions.
The world of sport
Ashes cricket | England shredded the nerves of their supporters with a gripping run chase before sealing a three-wicket win against Australia in the third Test. Australia has “work to do” before the fourth Test, Geoff Lemon writes.
Netball | Thunderbirds are go! Adelaide won their first Super Netball title in a 60-59 extra-time thriller against the NSW swifts.
AFL | Charlie Dixon fired up Port Adelaide’s young guns to keep the Power surging against the Gold Coast Suns.
Rugby union | The Wallabies hit early trouble in their 2023 World Cup quest, but their coach says it won’t take much to get his side “back in the money”.
Wimbledon | Here’s the overnight play-by-play from day seven at Wimbledon, where Iga Świątek survived a scare from Belinda Bencic, and Novak Djokovic will soon take Centre Court against Hubert Hurkacz.
Media roundup
The Albanese government is proposing new laws enshrining rights for union delegates and enhancing the ability of unions to conduct snap inspections of pay records – prompting business backlash, according to the Australian. And the Age says a decision over two vacant ABC director seats is still months away as the federal government looks to depoliticise appointees to the national broadcaster’s board.
What’s happening today
Anthony Albanese | The prime minister is arriving in Europe, ahead of meetings with the Nato secretary-general, European leaders and possibly the Ukraine president.
Living costs | A senate committee hearing on the cost of living is due to be held in Hobart.
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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.
