
Good morning. After an 11-week trial that gripped the nation, mushroom murderer Erin Patterson will learn her fate this morning as she is sentenced at the Victorian supreme court.
A government building in Kyiv has been set ablaze after the largest Russian air attack of the war as hundreds of drones and missiles targeted sites across Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s security needs caused the US Open men’s singles final to be delayed – and Oscar Piastri’s lead in the F1 championship has been cut after a controversial third-place finish in the Italian GP.
Australia
Conservation | The Minns government’s $140m great koala national park project would add 176,000 hectares of forest to existing reserves – but the Coalition claims the plan will “obliterate” regional towns.
Mushroom murders | Victoria’s supreme court will hand down triple-murderer Erin Patterson’s sentence on Monday morning, with the hearing to be broadcast live in a historic first for the state.
Explainer | A deadly shark attack at Long Reef beach has reignited debate about the NSW shark safety program, with plans to reduce shark net numbers put on hold. So what’s the plan this summer?
Strait tensions | Australian and Canadian warships sailing through the Taiwan Strait have been followed and warned by China’s military, with Beijing describing the incident as a “provocation”.
Cobblebank stabbings | A fatal attack on two boys in Melbourne by eight masked attackers armed with machetes had “the hallmarks of a youth gang crime”, Victoria police say.
World
Russia-Ukraine war | Russia has launched its largest-ever air attack on Ukraine, hitting a key government building in Kyiv for the first time and killing at least three people, Ukrainian officials said.
Gaza crisis | Israel has bombed a third Gaza City residential high-rise in as many days as its military carried out further attacks ahead of a threatened ground offensive; Israel’s supreme court says the government is not giving Palestinian prisoners enough food.
‘Despicable’ | A Republican senator has criticised US vice president JD Vance for his comments in apparent support of extrajudicial military killings after a strike against alleged drug traffickers.
‘Change course’ | Iran is ready to form a lasting agreement that includes strict monitoring of its domestic uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, its foreign minister has said.
Carlo Acutis | A London-born Italian teenager who died in 2006 age 15, has been declared the Catholic church’s first millennial saint during an open-air mass in a packed St Peter’s Square.
Full Story
Has Trump succeeded in normalising American autocracy?
It’s been more than 200 days since Donald Trump’s return to power, and many have been left asking: are we seeing authoritarianism normalised in the US? Global affairs correspondent Andrew Roth speaks with Reged Ahmad about whether America’s democracy is at a point of no return under Donald Trump.
In-depth
Tap on and, mostly, tap off. It seems simple enough, but transport authorities in Australia have struggled to get it right. Transport experts agree that Sydney’s Opal card is far superior to Melbourne’s Myki. But big changes are on the way as the cities’ ageing ticketing systems undergo upgrades. So, Penry Buckley asks, will Melbourne’s public transport ticketing system soon give Sydney’s a run for its money?
Not the news
In the latest of our Internet wormhole series, Charlotte Otton shares her deep admiration for Tennilles_deals, the Mother Teresa of Aussie supermarkets. Through weekly uploads of POV-style videos on TikTok meticulously going through the aisles to show us what’s on special, the micro-influencer shepherds shoppers through a sea of yellow price tags. It is detailed and considerate work – and cash-strapped Australians are lapping it up.
Sport
Tennis | After their match was delayed due to Donald Trump’s attendance, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are battling it out in the men’s singles final of the US Open.
Motorsport | Max Verstappen has won the F1 Italian GP at Monza as Lando Norris closed the gap on Oscar Piastri amid controversy over McLaren team orders.
AFL | Gold Coast find a pulse as favourite son David Swallow breaks Fremantle hearts, Jonathan Horn writes.
Rugby union | Pressure from Australia at the Women’s Rugby World Cup is “exactly what England wanted”, says halfback Natasha Hunt.
Cricket | Jofra Archer was the star as England powered to a record 342 run ODI win against South Africa.
Media roundup
An online reporting system – which includes an option to remain anonymous – appears to be encouraging more sexual assault complainants to come forward to NSW police, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. There are calls for increased access to publicly funded genetic testing for some diseases after a study of 10,000 young people found 200 with high-risk gene variants, the Age reports. An idea to build a LIV Golf course instead of thousands of new homes on a northern Adelaide site has been called “a fantasy”, the Advertiser reports.
What’s happening today
VIC | Triple murderer Erin Patterson is set to be sentenced in the Victorian supreme court this morning.
NSW | A coronial inquest into the death in custody of Indigenous man TJ Denniss is due to begin in Lidcombe.
VIC | The funeral for detective leading senior constable Neal Thompson is due to be held at the Victoria police academy in Glen Waverley.
Politics | Prime minister Anthony Albanese is scheduled to give the keynote speech at a Business Council of Australia dinner.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.