Good morning. There are calls for a clampdown on social media influencers allegedly using “shocking” content to push viewers towards the use of poker machines.
Meanwhile, a toxic algal bloom that has torn through coastal ecosystems in South Australia has now arrived on Adelaide’s beaches – and there are warnings that it may be here to stay.
The death toll in the Texas floods continues to rise as search and rescue efforts give way to the recovery of bodies. And Australian Oscar Piastri led for most of the British F1 Grand Prix but a controversial penalty cost him victory.
Australia
Karenia mikimotoi | South Australia’s toxic algal bloom has arrived on Adelaide’s beaches, deepening concern about the unfolding catastrophe affecting the state’s coastline.
Pokies influencers | The peak body for Australian doctors has urged politicians and social media companies to restrict “shocking” content of influencers allegedly glamorising poker machines on social media.
Rates decision | The RBA is expected to cut the cash rate again this week, in a move that would give further relief to millions of Australians with mortgages – and bolster the struggling economy.
‘No empty words’ | Kumanjayi Walker’s family are calling for “real action” as they await the coroner’s final report, almost five years after the Warlpiri man died during a bungled arrest in a remote Northern Territory community.
Antisemitism | The government has labelled the Melbourne synagogue fire an “attack on Australia”, as Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu demands that Labor do more to stop antisemitic attacks.
World
Texas floods | The death toll in the Texas floods has risen to at least 70 as search and rescue turns into grim recovery operation; Donald Trump has declared the deadly floods a “major disaster”.
Gaza crisis | Israeli strikes have killed at least 38 in Gaza as ceasefire talks reach a critical point, while people in Gaza barely dare to hope for success in the ceasefire talks.
US politics | Elon Musk should stay out of politics, the US treasury secretary says after the billionaire’s “America party” announcement. And is Trump’s expansion of presidential powers setting the stage for future Oval Office holders?
Trump tariffs | The EU is entering a crunch week with only two days of talks left to secure a trade deal with Washington to avert Trump’s threatened 50% tariff on its imports into the US.
‘It was something huge’ | The owners of a pet lion that escaped from a farmhouse and injured a woman and her two children have been arrested in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore.
Full Story
Japan’s rice crisis
Homegrown rice is a key part of Japanese culture, identity and politics, dating back thousands of years. So much so that any disruption can spark a wave of consumer anger, reaching even the highest echelons of power. But as the country grapples with a shortage of the grain, locals are asking whether it’s finally time to learn to love the imported version. Reged Ahmad spoke with Justin McCurry in Osaka about the dilemma.
In-depth
After months of angst and uproar in the arts, the decision has finally been reconfirmed: Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino will represent Australia at the Venice Biennale in 2026. An independent report has identified “missteps” – and raises red flags about the selection process for future Venice Biennales. So, asks curator and art historian Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, how can Creative Australia rebuild confidence in its role in supporting the visual arts?
Not the news
“Elderspeak” may involve the use of inappropriate terms of endearment, juvenile language or unnecessarily loud or slow enunciation. It can often be a vehicle for attributing ageist stereotypes to the older person, defining them not by their selfhood but by their age. Marcia van Zeller surveys this form of benevolent ageism – and explains how even well-intended words, such as “sweetheart”, can still sting.
Sport
Motorsport | Lando Norris of McLaren has won the F1 British Grand Prix from an angry Oscar Piastri after a controversial penalty in a rain-soaked Silverstone thriller.
Rugby union | Wallabies maintain “quiet resolve” for Lions series despite injuries, errors and uncertainties, Jack Snape writes; Wallabies score late to snatch win against surging Fiji as Lions await.
Cricket | Australia defeated the West Indies by 133 runs on the fourth day of the second Test in Grenada to clinch the series win.
Tennis | Aryna Sabalenka ousts Elise Mertens to reach Wimbledon quarter-finals; Briton Cam Norrie into Wimbledon quarter-finals after five-set battle; Australian Jordan Thompson bows out due to back injury.
Cycling | Mathieu van der Poel sprints to stage two victory in Boulogne-sur-Mer – and now wears the race leader’s yellow jersey.
Media roundup
Cancer rates in Australians under 50 are rising at a pace that is alarming doctors and scientists as they race to understand why, ABC News reports. The City of Parramatta has spent more than $5m removing dozens of staff in secret payouts, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Australians who survived the 7/7 London terror attack 20 years ago are among those gathering to honour those killed in the bombings, the Age reports. The future of Tasmania’s zinc smelter – and workers’ jobs – hangs in the balance, the Mercury reports.
What’s happening today
RBA | The Reserve Bank of Australia board is meeting today ahead of this week’s rates decision.
NT | The findings in the Kumanjayi Walker coronial inquest are due to be released this morning.
Tasmania | A man is due to appear in court in Launceston over the alleged murder of a police officer.
Victoria | The jury in the Erin Patterson trial continues its deliberations in Morwell.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
