Morning everyone. Memories are still fresh of the floods brought by La Niña, but Australians may soon be bracing for a “super El Niño” later this year and the prospect of renewed drought and bushfires, according to climate models. We’ve got a full report, plus an exclusive on how the ATO is cracking down on investment properties, and there are tributes to one of our country’s greatest artists, John Olsen, who died yesterday evening.
Australia
‘Quintessential Australianness’ | Olsen, one of Australia’s most celebrated artists and who was best known for his landscapes, has died aged 95. The director of the National Gallery of Australia, Nick Mitzevich, said Olsen’s work was “quintessential Australianness”.
Exclusive | Banks will be compelled to hand over the data of 1.7 million landlords, including transaction details, as part of a tax office crackdown in search of $1.3bn in revenue lost from residential investment properties.
Voice to parliament | Julian Leeser’s decision to quit the shadow frontbench to campaign for the Indigenous voice could clear the way for the referendum’s success, some Liberals believe. But although Labor and Aboriginal leaders have praised Leeser, his calls to alter the wording of the referendum question may still be ignored by the government.
‘Super El Niño’ risk | Some climate modelling is warning of a potential “super El Niño” later this year, bringing the risk of droughts, heatwaves and bushfires in south-east Australia and more coral bleaching for the Great Barrier Reef.
Budget saver | The government could almost halve the $50bn budget deficit by redesigning stage-three tax cuts, introducing further changes to tax breaks on superannuation and charging a 10% royalty on offshore gas, according to the Grattan Institute.
World
Fáilte, Joe | Joe Biden has arrived in Belfast today where he was met by the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, at the start of a four-day visit to the island of Ireland to underpin his support for peace in Northern Ireland and to celebrate his Irish roots.
War game | A leak of Pentagon of documents appears to have been initially shared on the video game chat platform Discord in an effort to win an argument about the war in Ukraine, according to open-source intelligence analysts.
Myanmar attack | Myanmar’s military has killed dozens of people in airstrikes on an event organised by its domestic opponents, in what is feared to be one of the deadliest attacks since the junta seized power more than two years ago.
Gun violence ‘epidemic’ | One in five Americans has lost a family member to gun violence, according to a survey coming the day after five people were killed by a gunman at a bank in Louisville, in the 146th mass shooting this year.
Party’s over | Tupperware, the 77-year-old company famed for its food containers, has warned it could go bust if it cannot raise emergency funds to stay afloat as it loses market share to more innovative competitors.
Full Story
Why are western countries banning TikTok?
Australia is following a number of western countries in banning popular Chinese social media app TikTok on government devices. Technology reporter Josh Taylor explains why the bans mark the start of a new era of online safety on social media.
In-depth
“Everyone told me it would never work,” says Prof Wojciech Chrzanowski, deputy director of the University of Sydney’s Nano Institute, as he recalls a seminar he gave 13 years ago on bio-printing. This concept is similar to 3D-printing where cells are taken from a patient and then cultivated to produce enough “ink” to print models of tissues for medical research – rather than using animals. But his team have defied sceptics and successfully grown replica human lungs in their laboratory. Melissa Davey caught up with him to find out more.
Not the news
The new show by comedy trio Aunty Donna starting on ABC tonight has their usual madcap mix of shifting realities, writes Luke Buckmaster, but Coffee Cafe is not their best work. The show feels like the zany threesome are scrambling for laughs in a format that doesn’t work as well as their Netflix outing, Big Ol’ House of Fun.
The world of sport
Football | The Matildas have defeated England 2-0 in a pre-World Cup friendly in London. England had 71% possession and Australia only had two shots on goal: review the action here.
Cricket | The England Test captain, Ben Stokes, has ordered “flat, fast” pitches for the Ashes this winter. As England continues to monitor the fitness of Jofra Archer after another absence, Stokes claims to already have a starting XI in mind.
Champions League | Erling Haaland has sealed Manchester City’s first-leg demolition of Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals this morning.
Media roundup
The AFR looks at the funding gap that spelled disaster for the home grocery delivery service Milk Run. New South Wales Liberal MP Anthony Roberts has advised fellow members “take a cup of concrete and harden up” while confirming he will run for the leadership, the Daily Telegraph reports. The Palaszczuk government has backed away from introducing a test when motorists renew their driver’s licence – but is still planning a “refresher”, the Courier Mail says. The South Australia premier, Peter Malinauskas, has revealed his definition of a woman amid controversy around a decision to remove gendered pronouns from state parliament, the Advertiser says.
What’s happening today
Hobart | Judgment in a court challenge by the Bob Brown Foundation over a lease granted by the Tasmanian government to Chinese miner MMG.
Canberra | The ACCC chair, Gina Cass-Gotlieb, addresses the press club.
Economy | ABS releases the latest data on building activity and household spending.
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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.
