Good afternoon. China has conducted a long-range missile test in the Pacific, in a move the Australian government has condemned as “destabilising to the region”.
A test missile topped with a dummy warhead landed in “designated waters” of the Pacific, China’s state news agency Xinhua reported on Monday. The missile test was a “routine arrangement” of China’s annual military training, with prior notification to relevant countries, Xinhua said.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said the test was “lacking in the transparency and reassurance as to intent that the region expects”.
Top news
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Anthony Albanese apologises ‘unequivocally’ for podcast comment about Kylie Minogue
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Melbourne teacher receiving end-of-life care after horror head clash during suburban football game
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Ukraine hopes to sign ‘drone deals’ with seven Nato countries by end of year
World Cup 2026
A 10-man England side defeated Mexico 3-2 in a chaotic and thrilling last-16 match, with a standout two-goal performance from Jude Bellingham. Erling Haaland scored twice to send Norway into the World Cup quarter-finals, defeating Brazil 2-1, and said it was “one of the sickest days ever in Norwegian history”.
The US coach Mauricio Pochettino has celebrated after Donald Trump successfully lobbied Fifa to lift the US striker Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban for a red card received in the team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The decision will give the US a huge boost on the field when they play Belgium on Monday night US time. Belgium’s coach, Rudi Garcia, compared the decision to an April Fools’ joke.
In pictures
Winterfest Sydney 2026: a medieval village springs to life – in pictures
The annual medieval fair in Sydney’s north-west included historical re-enactments, jousting knights, wandering entertainers – and even mermaids. See Liz Ham’s pictures here.
What they said …
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“They’ve tried to kill me for 23 years.” – Cristiano Ronaldo
The 41-year-old football superstar said this World Cup would be his last, after a long career of 232 games, 146 goals and six World Cups. At an expansive press conference, when it was suggested that he might not be back, he replied: “You don’t want me back.”
Full Story
Will the Mamdani effect make 2028 the year of the leftwing president?
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, the popular new mayor of New York City, is now endorsing candidates that topple established Democrats. Will his new way of doing politics connect with US voters? Nour Haydar speaks with David Smith about whether the Democrats are still fit to take on Trump.
Before bed read
China wants to solve the hardest problem in robotics – making hands
The race to develop “embodied AI” is focusing on creating dextrous hands to transform humanoid robots from gimmicks into useful products. Some companies think they are close to surpassing this final but most difficult hurdle in robotics. Most of them are in China.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: CAPE. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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