Good morning. Today Anthony Albanese will meet with Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, and the US vice-president, Kamala Harris, ahead of the funeral for Japan’s slain former prime minister Shinzo Abe. And back home, Optus is facing consumer anger and potential government action after a major data breach.
Australia has a global reputation as a source of clean food – but we have some of the most lax regulation of pesticide use in the western world. More than 70 chemicals no longer in use in Europe because of their toxicity to humans, animals and the environment are still in routine use here in Australia. Globally, Australia is one of the heavier users of pesticides in food production. Here are 12 of the most toxic pesticides still being used on Australian food crops and animals.
Rental tenants are being pushed to breaking point, with ballooning rents and evictions across Australian cities. Sydney has been the hardest hit, with weekly rents climbing by 23.7% in the past 12 months and 4.21% in the past week alone. Brisbane rents have risen by 22.2% in the past 12 months, followed by Melbourne (19.3%), Adelaide (18.6%) and Perth (15.6%). Interest rate hikes and a lack of supply are apparently to blame.
Optus customers are growing increasingly angry and frustrated by chatbots and “rubbish” communication over the massive customer data breach that has left millions vulnerable to identity fraud. The Albanese government will pursue “very substantial” reforms in the wake of the massive Optus data breach, including increasing penalties under the Privacy Act that are currently capped at $2.2m.
Australia
Doctors have warned a herbal “remedy” purportedly for low energy, Kamini, contains opioids such as codeine and morphine in unknown quantities, leading to an increasing number of people seeking help for addiction.
New South Wales is bracing for another week of thunderstorms and renewed flooding, with authorities warning some areas are at risk of flooding for months to come.
Millions of dollars across more than 100 community development projects could be axed in the October budget after the federal government’s audit of grants allocated by the Coalition. The audit revealed that six projects had no proponent – that is, “no clear organisation identified as having asked for the money” – and more than $18m worth of grants had no fixed locations.
It’s bird swooping season in Australia, with magpie chicks starting to hatch. And magpies are not the only swoopers to look out for.
The world
At least 450 people have been arrested in Iran during the last 10 days of protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The official death toll in the unrest is 41, and human rights groups say the true number may be higher.
World leaders, including Anthony Albanese, are flying into a political storm in Japan over the state funeral for Shinzo Abe.
A gunman with a swastika on his T-shirt has killed 15 people, including 11 children, and wounded 24 at a school in Russia, investigators have said.
Vladimir Putin has granted Russian citizenship to the US whistleblower Edward Snowden. Snowden, 39, a former US intelligence contractor, has been living in Russia since 2013 to escape prosecution in the US.
Recommended reads
Australia’s ballroom scene was out in full, fierce force at the Tivoli in Meanjin/Brisbane this weekend, vogueing, popping, dipping and duck-walking at an event honouring the legacy and celebrating the future of a subculture that was created by trans women of colour in 1950s Harlem. Photographer Briony Walker was there to capture the night.
Australian medicine can be an awful place to work. And now doctors are writing about it. Medical bestsellers were once predominated by noble stories of clinicians who grapple with mortality and work tirelessly at all costs in commitment to their vocation. But now, a new wave of Australian books details the extent of burnout, misogyny and mental ill health in medicine.
The secondhand clothing market is experiencing a rapid rise. It is expected to grow 16 times faster than the retail industry by 2026, which is exceptionally good news for the planet. But what does it take for a garment or accessory to retain its value? Experts share their advice on getting into the resale market.
Listen
In the first part of a new series, Guardian journalist Sirin Kale tells a story of obsession, fear and ruined lives. She investigates what happened when a cyberstalker wreaked havoc online and ruined people’s lives for over a decade in Can I tell you a Secret?
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
Dutch cycling star Mathieu van der Poel will attempt to overturn a conviction for assaulting two teenage girls in a Sydney hotel the night before the men’s world championship road race. Van der Poel had confronted two girls – grabbing one on the arm and pushing the other – after he says they repeatedly knocked on his hotel door on Saturday night and ran away.
Australia-born Courtney Winfield-Hill is the standout inclusion in the England women’s squad for this autumn’s Rugby League World Cup. Winfield-Hill has established herself as one of the premier talents in the Women’s Super League since joining Leeds Rhinos.
Media roundup
The OECD has downgraded its forecast for the Australian economy, along with many others, as the global economy struggles against the impacts of the war in Ukraine and rising interest rates, the Age reports. And news.com.au covers the controversial use of a “Mankad” dismissal in an India v England women’s cricket match.
Coming up
The initial hearings for the Robodebt royal commission in Brisbane.
The federal government reveals its proposed integrity laws.
The Melbourne World Barista Championships 2022.
Sign up
If you would like to receive the Guardian Australia morning mail to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com.
Discover Australia Weekend
Every Saturday at 6am, enjoy early access to the best journalism planned for the weekend in one elegant app, plus a curated selection of the week’s news and analysis from Australia and the world.
