Good morning. Firearm ownership is surging in Australia and the gun lobby has been mobilising against new laws, as explored in our new gun control series launched today.
Plus, tens of thousands marched across the country yesterday in a show of support for Palestine, calling for an end to Australia’s arms trade with Israel and sanctions. And internationally, the Russian foreign minister has claimed Vladimir Putin does want a peace deal in Ukraine, while denying his country had bombed civilian targets.
Australia
Solidarity display | Brisbane has amassed the largest pro-Palestine crowd in the city’s history, rally organisers say, as tens of thousands marched across Australia in a show of support for the Palestinian people, days after famine was declared in Gaza for the first time.
Gun control | Australia has long been considered the gold standard for gun safety, but in a new investigation launched today, experts say we are losing control as firearm numbers in the community surge.
Mushroom trial | Convicted murderer Erin Patterson’s two-day plea hearing begins today, with prosecutors flagging there will be “a lot” of victim impact statements. Read our explainer here.
Storms ahead | The Coalition’s internal struggle over climate change will be on full display today as the House of Representatives prepares to debate Barnaby Joyce’s private bill to dump Australia’s net zero target.
Marine crisis | New satellite imagery of South Australia’s devastating algal bloom shows it shifting and surging around the coast, where it has killed tens of thousands of marine animals.
World
War of words | Russia accused Kyiv of attacking a nuclear power plant with drones and accused European leaders of not wanting peace in Ukraine, while the US vice-president, JD Vance, said his country would “keep on trying” to broker talks.
Israel-Gaza | Israeli aircraft and tanks have bombarded the eastern and northern outskirts of Gaza City, destroying buildings and homes, as Israeli leaders vowed to press on with an expanded large-scale offensive on the city.
United States | Donald Trump has “manufactured a crisis” to justify the notion of sending federalised national guard troops into Chicago next, over the heads of local leaders, a leading Democrat said on Sunday.
Test flight | The latest iteration of Elon Musk’s gargantuan Starship space rocket is poised to launch into the skies above Texas after three explosive failures in recent tests.
Going nuclear | A referendum to push for the reopening of Taiwan’s last nuclear plant has failed to reach the legal threshold to be valid, though the president said the island could return to the technology in the future if safety standards improved.
Full Story
Why the Australian gun lobby says it’s ‘winning’
Almost 30 years on from the Port Arthur massacre that led to decisive reforms, there are more legal firearms in the country than ever before. Nour Haydar speaks with senior correspondent Sarah Martin and investigations reporter Ariel Bogle about why the number of guns in Australia is on the rise, the escalating threat of 3D-printed weaponry and why the gun lobby claims it is “winning” the fight against firearm control.
In-depth
Six people have gone missing from an idyllic New Zealand town over the past three decades. The mystery of what happened has been haunting locals, with no clothing or remains found. A new true-crime documentary has questioned whether there could be a link between the disappearances, but in the process has disrupted some of Piha’s community.
Not the news
What is the secret to happiness? For Nadine Levy, it’s free, simple and immediate – finding appreciative joy in others. Levy writes: “You can unapologetically draw on others’ successes to gladden your heart … it shifts you out of negative, ineffective mental states that cause unnecessary harm to the world around you.”
Sport
Cricket | Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green smashed blistering hundreds as Australia steamrolled South Africa by 276 runs in the third and final one-day international of the series in Mackay.
Tennis | Venus Williams will take the court for her record-extending 25th US Open singles appearance, quite literally as enduring a part of the Flushing Meadows iconography as Arthur Ashe Stadium itself.
AFL | The Dockers shrugged off intense pressure to secure a fully deserved place in this year’s finals, but for the Bulldogs it was the same old story.
Media roundup
According to the Financial Review, compliance training company Safetrac has been using company laptops to covertly listen in on its employees working from home. No affordable homes have been built under a model planned for the Suburban Rail Loop, reports the Age. The pay of South Australia’s new merged university boss has been kept a secret, writes the Advertiser.
What’s happening today
Toowoomba | Queensland premier David Crisafulli will speak at the Courier-Mail Bush Summit
Sydney | The NSW Department of Planning and Housing will appear before the state’s estimates
Melbourne | There will be a case management hearing for the ACCC’s case against Coles and Woolworths
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
