Morning everyone. First it was pagers, now it is walkie-talkies. A new round of explosions has hit devices used by Hezbollah overnight, leaving at least 14 dead and hundreds injured. Israel has declared a “new phase” of the war. We have full reports and analysis in our in-depth section below.
Elsewhere, real estate agents speak out about fears of “price gouging” on listings by realestate.com.au, a report suggests accessing super won’t help many first-time buyers, and can the Wallabies end the Bledisloe drought?
Australia
Deeming v Pesutto | Ousted Liberal MP Moira Deeming was “distraught” after her young children began saying “my mum’s a Nazi” amid controversy over a rally she attended, according to an affidavit released by the federal court.
Hot property | Real estate agents have hit out at the market dominance of realestate.com.au, which is majority owned by the News Corp-controlled REA Group, saying the portal is “price gouging” as a result of its effective monopoly. It comes as a new report warns that the Coalition’s plan to allow first home buyers access to their superannuation would heavily favour older and wealthier people.
Media ‘fearmongering’ | The independent senator Fatima Payman has accused mainstream media of reducing Muslim women to “stereotypes” and singled out Rupert Murdoch, alleging moguls like him cause “division” and “fearmongering”.
Exclusive | The Bureau of Meteorology is shifting the way it communicates about climate phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña, because global heating is making predictions less reliable.
Sydney snag | Commuters can expect delays and a main Sydney train line’s conversion to a metro service may be derailed unless the New South Wales government can reach an 11th-hour agreement with the rail union.
World
Fed cut | The US Federal Reserve cut interest rates on Wednesday for the first time in four years.
Trump ‘unfit’ | More than 100 Republican former national security and foreign policy officials have endorsed Kamala Harris for president in a joint letter, calling Donald Trump “unfit to serve” another term. It comes as the Guardian reveals a behind-the-scenes network of Georgia election officials strategising to undermine the 2024 result.
‘I never consented’ | The former wife of a French man accused of recruiting strangers to rape her while she was drugged has told a court she never consented and the men who allegedly assaulted her were “degenerates”.
Second among equals | Sue Gray has been given a salary of £170,000 ($330,000) as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff – more than the UK prime minister – prompting fury among Labour colleagues.
‘It kept strangling me’ | A Thai woman has described being trapped in the coils of a 20kg python for about two hours in her home.
Full Story
The big profits behind selling Australian homes
Australians pay more than consumers in any other country to sell their homes online as a result of the market dominance of realestate.com.au and Domain. Sarah Martin tells Reged Ahmad what’s behind the astronomical rise in profits for the real estate websites and if the government can do anything about it.
In-depth
Explosions targeting walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah (pictured) have killed at least 14 people and wounded hundreds in cities across Lebanon, a day after more than 2,800 were injured and 12 killed by exploding pagers in an attack blamed on Israel. These attacks were audacious and carefully planned, Guardian reporters explain. Here is what we know so far about the attacks as medics in Lebanon describe their horror at the extent of the injuries. With Israel presumed to be behind the attacks, our columnist Lina Khatib looks at how a “humiliated” Hezbollah might respond and we find Israelis fear reprisals are inevitable. At the UN, Australia abstained in a vote demanding Israel withdrawal from the occupied territories. You can follow all the developments via our live blog.
Not the news
This week it is the turn of Lucy Blakiston to share with us the 10 funniest things she has ever seen on the internet. The founder of Shit You Should Care About takes us through an epic jetpack fail, Harry Styles singing a bum note, and an angry Aussie dad pranked by his sons.
The world of sport
Rugby union | The Wallabies are building up to their annual showdown with the All Blacks with a renewed sense of optimism that they can take the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 2002.
Brisbane Olympics | Queenslanders are being urged not to panic after the Liberal National party leader said people were “embarrassed” by the proposal to host major Olympic events at a suburban athletics stadium.
Football | The former Italy striker Totò Schillaci, who inspired his country to third place at the 1990 World Cup, has died at the age of 59. One of his former clubs, Inter, are taking on Manchester City in the Champions League this morning. Follow it here.
Media roundup
Papua New Guinea is expected to become the 19th NRL team in a $600m coup, the Courier Mail reveals. A “mini city” of 11,000 homes near Liverpool is a step closer with the plans set to be revealed in a public exhibition, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Ukraine is furious that Australia is selling outdated military equipment online when it could be used at the front, the Age says.
What’s happening today
Society | IUSTI (sexual health) conference in Sydney.
Economy | ABS releases figures on the labour force, and national, state and territory population.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
