Morning everyone. An Israeli missile attack on senior Hamas figures in Doha for ceasefire talks has killed at least five members of the Palestinian group and threatens another major escalation of the war in the Middle East. We have live coverage and reports.
Also, NSW plans to fine childcare providers up to $500,000 if they breach new safety directives. Plus we look at why Queensland officials are arguing about unauthorised flagpoles, and how a novelty cheque has become the latest thing to link Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein.
Australia
Flag dispute | Queensland transport officials will meet Aboriginal groups this week to resolve a standoff over unauthorised flagpoles flying the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Palestinian flags on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).
‘Nation-leading’ | Large childcare providers found in breach of safety directives will face $500,000 fines – an increase of 900% – under new laws to be introduced by New South Wales parliament today.
Stokes’ bill | Seven West Media’s chair, Kerry Stokes, has been ordered to pay $13.5m in legal costs to the media companies unsuccessfully sued for defamation by disgraced former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith.
ANU questions | David Pocock, the independent ACT senator, has called on the federal government to urgently intervene in the leadership crisis at the Australian National University as pressure mounts on the chancellor, Julie Bishop, and vice-chancellor, Prof Genevieve Bell, to resign.
Groth mistake | The Herald Sun failed to seek a response from Brittany Groth, the wife of Sam Groth, the Victorian Liberal deputy leader and former tennis star, before wrongly outing her as a victim of child sexual assault, the couple allege in federal court documents.
World
Trump’s cheque mate | The White House has denied that Donald Trump wrote a lewd card for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday book as attention turns to a photo of the late disgraced financier holding a novelty cheque suggesting that Epstein “sold” Trump a woman for $22,500. The Democrats are succeeding in needling Trump about the book: here’s who’s in it and some of the pages in pictures. Follow developments live.
Doha attack | Israel has launched a strike on Hamas officials meeting in Qatar’s capital, Doha, reportedly including the group’s chief ceasefire negotiator, in an attack condemned by world leaders and which the White House said “does not advance Israel or America’s goals”. The attack, which Hamas says killed six of its members, was in retaliation for yesterday’s killing of six people in Jerusalem, Benjamin Netanyahu said. Earlier, Israel ordered all residents of Gaza City to evacuate ahead of a planned offensive to take over and occupy the city. Follow developments live.
Third time lucky | Sébastien Lecornu, a close ally of Emmanuel Macron, has been appointed as France’s third prime minister this year and faces the challenge of stabilising the government amid a political crisis.
The Boris files | Leaked documents have raised questions about whether Boris Johnson broke ethics rules by lobbying a top Abu Dhabi official to “secure his patronage” for a business venture that stood to make him millions. The cache also shows that Johnson contacted Elon Musk to get the US tech billionaire to support the ailing London Evening Standard newspaper.
Honey trap | A Canadian beekeeper has described fending off thousands of “robber bees” as they raided her shop in a brazen attempt to steal honey.
Full Story
The Liberals’ Jacinta Nampijinpa Price problem
As rightwing MPs rally around Jacinta Nampijinpa Price in a Coalition stoush that shows no signs of going away, Nour Haydar speaks to political reporter Dan Jervis-Bardy about the fallout from the senator’s comments about Indian immigrants.
In-depth
Cutting immigration has been floated as a fix for the housing crisis on the basis that fewer people equals less demand. However, our economics editor has teamed up with analysts to run the numbers, finding that fewer immigrants equals fewer people to build homes, meaning less supply – cancelling out any benefits of reduced demand.
Not the news
What makes a good sausage roll? It’s an important question, and Sarah Ayoub rounded up six friends (and kids) to carry out this week’s supermarket taste test. The winner boasts “a crisp exterior and evenly textured sausage-like filling”, while a familiar brand proved that generations of party-going children haven’t been wrong.
Sport
Football | Ange Postecoglou has made an early return to the Premier League after his sacking by Tottenham, after he agreed to replace Nuno Espírito Santo as head coach at Nottingham Forest. He’s back in the big time, but the Australian’s reputation is now on the line.
Socceroos | Australian football fans were given an exciting glimpse of the future as Mohamed Touré and Nestory Irankunda were on target to see off New Zealand in Auckland last night.
AFL | Fresh from their humbling by Geelong on Friday night, defending premiers Brisbane face a new challenger in Saturday’s knockout final against their upstart neighbours, the Gold Coast Suns. Where will the match be won and lost?
Media roundup
Lachlan Murdoch has “followed his father’s playbook” in the family succession battle, the Financial Review reckons, but it could be at the expense of good terms with his siblings. Bathing boxes at Mount Martha North on the Mornington Peninsula are threatened by coastal erosion, according to the Age. A women’s gym is in a court-ordered liquidation a year after it was fined over contracts for workers with disabilities, the Daily Telegraph reports. A man is fighting for his life after a fire at a tyre shop in Moreton Bay, the Courier Mail reports.
What’s happening today
Film | Hearing for directors fighting over who gets credit for the documentary Never Get Busted at the federal court in Sydney.
Defence | Federal government announcement on defence capability.
Business | Telstra boss Vicki Brady speaks at the National Press Club.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
