Good morning. Lidia Thorpe says she was one of the people who made a bullying complaint about former Greens senator Dorinda Cox to the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service. Staying with politics, the Guardian can exclusively reveal several Victorian Liberals have criticised the party for engaging lawyers in an unfair dismissal claim while the former opposition leader John Pesutto faces bankruptcy.
And Donald Trump says Vladimir Putin told him Russia would “have to” respond to Ukraine’s drone attacks.
Australia
Money troubles | Several Victorian Liberals have accused the party of “hypocrisy” after it paid lawyers to represent its administrative wing in an unfair dismissal claim, while so far declining to save former party leader John Pesutto from bankruptcy.
Politics | Lidia Thorpe has revealed she was one of the people to complain to the parliamentary watchdog about the former Greens senator Dorinda Cox and has .
Health | Transgender advocates have criticised the panel assembled to conduct the Queensland government’s review of puberty blockers for lacking experts in gender affirming care or people with lived experience of trans healthcare.
Pokies | The New South Wales government has failed to prevent serious gambling harm with $2.7bn lost to poker machines in the first 90 days of this year, according to a charity group pushing for tougher regulation.
Healthcare costs | The cost of an initial dermatology appointment is nearly $300 on average, new data shows. It reflects a broader problem: that Medicare rebates are not keeping up with the pace that specialist fees are rising.
World
Russian invasion | Donald Trump has spoken for more than an hour with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, but he said the talks would not lead “to immediate peace” in Ukraine and warned that Russia says it will respond to Ukraine’s successful attacks this week on its airfields.
Middle East | A US-backed group operating food distribution sites in Gaza announced it would not give out any provisions on Wednesday, a day after Israel killed dozens of Palestinians waiting for food and with the Israeli army warning that roads leading to distribution centres were considered “combat zones”.
China | The world will never forget the Tiananmen Square massacre, the US secretary of state and Taiwan president have said on the 36th anniversary of the crackdown, which China’s government still tries to erase from domestic memory.
El Salvador | A former defence minister of El Salvador and two retired colonels have been convicted of the 1982 killings of four Dutch journalists during the country’s civil war, a lawyer for families of the deceased said.
Madeleine McCann | Searches for Madeleine McCann have ramped up in Portugal, with police using radar technology and a digger to clear debris around an abandoned building a mile from where the British toddler was last seen in 2007.
Full Story
Five years since Black Lives Matter – has anything changed in Australia?
In 2020 tens of thousands of people took to the streets, demanding accountability and racial justice in solidarity with First Nations Australians. But five years on, and after a failed referendum on constitutional recognition, campaigners mourn the lack of progress. Indigenous affairs reporters Sarah Collard and Ella Archibald-Binge join Nour Haydar to discuss the recurring calls for justice.
In-depth
A disaster is slowly unfolding in Australia’s Limestone Coast. Groundwater levels are declining, leading to freshwater diving and swimming spots starting to dry up. Ponds are being threatened by algae outbreaks while the region is responsible for a third of South Australia’s agricultural input. “If we don’t do something about it in the next few years, it rests upon our soul,” one local says.
Not the news
A new exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria delves into the storied history of the kimono. It showcases the garment’s diverse history, with pieces from Japan’s Edo period and interpretations from Western brands such as Alexander McQueen.
Sport
Soccer | The Socceroos haven’t beaten Japan for 16 years but coach Tony Popovic insists his team is prepared to beat the team to guarantee admission for the World Cup.
Tennis | French wildcard Loïs Boisson, ranked No 361, has defeated Mirra Andreeva in Boisson’s first French Open.
Premier League | Liverpool are attempting to finalise a deal to sign Milos Kerkez with Bournemouth demanding £45m for the Hungary international.
Media roundup
The no-confidence motion in the Tasmanian premier, Jeremy Rockliff, will continue today, the ABC reports. According to the Brisbane Times, a data bungle at Forensic Science Queensland has caused inaccuracies in 37 police cases in at least 69 results. In the West Australian, planning authorities have approved a Perth seven-storey apartment building with some as small as 26sqm.
What’s happening today
Gold Coast | The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic organisers will give an update
South Australia | The state’s budget will be revealed this afternoon
Geelong | Brittany Higgins will speak at Conversations that Matter
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
