Good morning. We lead today with Israel declaring it is launching a renewed “extensive” ground offensive to seize territory in Gaza, where the war-ravaged civilian population is already facing starvation.
Also overseas: former US president Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
Closer to home, there are internet privacy concerns for NSW school students after revelations the Microsoft Teams app collected the children’s biometric data, as well as concerns over the NSW police’s use of search powers on children.
‘A real worry’ |The NSW education department was caught by surprise when Microsoft begancollecting the voice and facial biometric dataof school students using the Teams video app.
FPO searches |NSW police search powers area “blank cheque” to target Indigenous youth, lawyers say, amid fears a firearms prohibition order scheme is being used to conduct surveillance without judicial oversight.
Housing market |The RBA is expected to slash its key interest rate on Tuesday. It could drive home-buyer activity – buteconomists are doubtful of a “boom market”.
Analysis |Victoria’s government is upbeat ahead of Tuesday’s budget. Butthere are signs of cuts on the horizonamid warnings the state’s financial strategy needs a “course correction”.
Beating the funk |The productivity minister, Andrew Leigh, says Australia is just one generation away from “US-style inequality”. But can Labor’s reformsbear fruit by the next election?
Gaza crisis |The Israeli military has announced“extensive” new ground operationsin war-ravaged Gaza, as a second day of indirect ceasefire talks in Qatar ended without a breakthrough;Israeli forces strike displaced Palestinians’ tentsin Khan Younis.
Russia-Ukraine war |Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the US vice president, JD Vance, ahead of Donald Trump’s call to discuss ending the war.Trump is losing patience with Russiaover the conflict, the Finnish president says.Ukrainians fear the war will drag on for years.
The Vatican |Zelenskyy and Vance (as well as Anthony Albanese) were among 150,000 present asPope Leo XIV held his inaugural mass at St Peter’s Square, saying he wants the Catholic church to be “leaven of unity” against discord.
‘Super Sunday’ polls |The centrist candidate Nicuşor Danis on course to beat his far-right rivalin Romania’s election, exit polls suggest; centrist and hard-right candidatesare set for a runoff in Poland.
Biden cancer |Former US president Joe Biden has beendiagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
Gina episode 7: What does she want?
At 13 years old, a young Gina Rinehart read a book that would help shape her worldview – Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, which is having a moment around the world. The novel’s capitalist underpinnings promote the idea that people should strive to be their best industrial selves. We explorehow these values are playing out in Rinehart’s life today, including her proposal to build a coalmine in Canada’s Rocky Mountains.
Plus: assistant picture editor Ellen Smith travelled with the Gina podcast team to the iron ore-rich region of Western Australia. Take a look atwhat they found in the land of “Aunty Gina”.
During the first years of the Covid-19 crisis, the University of New South Wales professor of global biosecurity Raina MacIntyre was a fixture in Australian news coverage, a voice of authority warning about the dangers faced by societies grappling with the global pandemic. As she releases a new book, Vaccine Nation, we ask her: what’s the next big threat to public health, andare we up to the challenge?
“Bloody hell, Prince Vasíli, Genoa and Luca are pretty much just Napoleon’s holiday homes now,” reads the opening line of Leo Tolstoy’s seminal epic, War and Peace. But this is not the original Russian prose. Instead, Melbourne man Ander Louis has translated hundreds of pages of the 19th century classic, line by line, into a “bogan Australian” edition –including Ford Falcons, wankers and complete drongos.
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AFL |A week of grief is a reminder to reflecton the magnificent triviality of sport, Jonathan Horn writes.
Football |Arsenal fought off Newcastle 1-0to seal the Premier League runners-up spot;Nottingham Forest survived West Ham’s frantic finalein a 1-2 win; Sam Kerr’sChelsea wrapped up a domestic treblewith a Women’s FA Cup win.
Motorsport |Australian F1 driver Oscar Piastri started on pole but finished third asMax Verstappen won the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
Cycling |Wout van Aert wins Giro d’Italia stage ninein Siena as Isaac del Toro moves into overall lead.
Rugby union |TheLions’ long road to Australia has begunwith get-to-know-you coffees.
The European Union isseeking a defence pact with Australiato deepen military cooperation, theSydney Morning Heraldreports. Medicinal cannabisprescribing practices are under scrutiny, with Australian medical practitioners writing scripts with alarming speed, A group representing Indigenous rangers saysfunding must be restored as a matter of integrityafter broken election promise, reportsNT News.
NSW |A parliamentary public hearing is scheduled into the issue of antisemitism in NSW.
NSW |The Sydney writers’ festival begins.
VIC |The trial of murder accused Erin Patterson continues in Morwell.
NSW |The inquest into the Bondi Junction stabbing attack continues.
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