Morning everyone. Russia has kidnapped hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children and is teaching them to hate their home country in a policy that amounts to genocide, President Volodomyr Zelenskiy has told the United Nations in a powerful in-person address in New York. Back in Australia, the education minister worries that vape stores are opening near schools in order to get youngsters hooked, and our Full Story podcast looks at how to prepare for what’s feared to be a bad summer of bushfires.
Australia
Johns role | Gary Johns (pictured) remains listed in official leadership positions with two major no campaign organisations, despite Warren Mundine distancing the campaign from the former Labor minister and hinting he would not be speaking publicly.
‘A lot to be done’ | The NSW Rural Fire Service chief says there’s still “a lot to be done” to prepare for the fire season now upon us as El Niño takes hold. Meanwhile, the government has to have a more developed plan to shift to renewable energy from fossil fuels or it risks “missing half the equation”, climate scientists have warned.
Stealth vapes | The federal health minister, Mark Butler, has criticised the proliferation of vape stores, which continue to open and are also being sited next to schools to build a “new generation” of nicotine addicts.
Housing plan | The Victorian government is expected to fast-track planning decisions for developments valued at more than $50m that include a portion of affordable housing and offer stronger protections for renters under policy overhaul to be announced on Wednesday.
Plea for reform | A parent has told the story of the death of her son, after the fourth fatal interaction between NSW police and a vulnerable person in as many months. She says police should not be involved in most mental health call-outs.
World
Inflation threat | Germany is expected to suffer the most from a slowdown in the world economy driven by higher interest rates and weaker global trade, the OECD has warned, while a jump in the price of crude oil to US$95 a barrel creates an inflation headache for the Reserve Bank and other central banks.
Russia accused | Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said Ukraine has the names of all the children kidnapped by Russia since the invasion began as he delivered a strong attack on the Kremlin’s tactics. He also said Russia was weaponising food prices as he addressed the UN general assembly in New York. A UN report calling on countries to consider financial reparations for transatlantic slavery has been hailed as a significant step forward by campaigners.
‘Terror’ campaign | Azerbaijan has said it has launched an “anti-terrorist” campaign in the Nagorno-Karabakh region which it disputes with Armenia, as bombing raids were reported in the regional capital of Stepanakert.
X charge | Elon Musk has indicated that X, formerly known as Twitter, is considering charging all users for accessing the platform in an attempt to keep out bots, or automated accounts.
Bear’s picnic | Two bears on an Alaska military base have raided a Krispy Kreme doughnut van that was stopped outside a convenience store during its delivery route.
Full Story
Preparing for the worst bushfire season since the black summer fires
With a torrid summer expected, Gabrielle Jackson speaks to deputy rural and regional editor Calla Wahlquist about how to prepare for the worst and how she plans to protect her beloved horses.
In-depth
An index charting Australia’s health, wellbeing and connectedness over the last 14 years will be released today and provides an insight into some major social trends. It shows that while the economy is continuing to grow and the labour market is strong, the cost-of-living squeeze is now becoming more apparent with the rental crisis. Katharine Murphy talks to the demographer behind the research about how trust, community interaction and national pride are declining under the economic pressure.
Not the news
With the school holidays coming up, children will be looking forward to getting into the kitchen, making a mess and maybe coming up with something edible. Fear not though. Alice Zaslavsky has the perfect recipe for traybake pizza that is versatile and tastes as good as it looks.
The world of sport
AFL | Collingwood head into this weekend’s finals no longer the butt of cheap jokes but as a more inclusive club since working to reshape its images, writes Antoun Issa.
NRL | When the Melbourne Storm take on Penrith Panthers this Friday in a preliminary final, it will be another testament to how they have bounced back from the brink to become a much-loved club in an AFL-mad city.
Football | The Champions League has kicked off again with Newcastle United banking a hard-earned point in Milan on their return to Europe’s top table.
Media roundup
Anti-voice rallies taking place around Australia this weekend have been planned by the pro-Kremlin conspiracy theorist Simeon Boikov, the Age reports. Labor’s budget for New South Wales was as expected, according to analysis in the Sydney Morning Herald, which describes it as “safe and risk averse”. A bushfire raging on Tasmania’s east coast has prompted a warning for people to evacuate their houses, the Hobart Mercury reports. Schools in south-east Queensland are scrambling to provide enough places for the number of new students, the Courier Mail says.
What’s happening today
Education | Public hearing into the use of AI in schools and universities.
Toowoomba | A high-profile man is in court relating to a rape charge and is expected to make an application for a suppression order.
Voice to parliament | Clive Palmer is bringing a case at the federal court in Sydney to force the AEC to count X as no vote.
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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.
