Morning everyone. As the long-awaited debate on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files began in the US Congress, Donald Trump hosted Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office and defended his guest when questioned over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The latest part of our Broken trust investigation today reveals how police left a woman at the mercy of her drunken, violent husband ending in her death.
Plus: can you compare the Ashes to The Odyssey and The Iliad? And is the new Wicked movie any good?
Australia
Roblox rollout | Roblox is rolling out age-verification features in Australia which will limit teenagers and children messaging users outside their own age. But the gaming platform has argued it should be exempt from the child social media ban.
Sand risk | Coloured sand sold for children’s play will be reclassified as high risk by the Australian Border Force, as some schools remained closed for decontamination after positive asbestos tests.
Capitol cut | Rupert Murdoch-owned media outlets have accused the ABC of distorting a speech by Donald Trump on the day of the attack on the US Capitol. So what did the ABC report say?
Rock bottom? | The Liberal party could see three leadership changes in one week at state and federal level. Our political editor looks at the root causes, and asks: has the party hit rock bottom?
Cop out | Anthony Albanese has said Australia will not stand in the way of Turkey hosting next year’s Cop31 climate summit.
World
‘Quiet piggy’ | Donald Trump has hosted the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, at the White House and contradicted US intelligence on the Saudi crown prince’s role in journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s death. Trump also faces criticism after he referred to a Bloomberg correspondent as “piggy” during a clash onboard Air Force One on Friday. Meanwhile the US House of Representatives has voted to force the release of files related to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Cloud down | Cloudflare, a key piece of the internet’s usually hidden infrastructure, suffered a global outage overnight, causing error messages to flash up across websites.
‘No company immune’ | More than US$1tn has been wiped off the value of the cryptocurrency market in the past six weeks amid fears of a tech bubble. The FTSE 100 in London saw its biggest one-day fall since April.
Gaza hope | The Palestinian foreign minister has described the UN security council resolution endorsing Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza as a necessary first step on a long road towards peace, even as it was rejected by Hamas.
Farage claims | Nigel Farage faces fresh claims of racism and antisemitism when he was a schoolboy in London but the Reform UK leader denies the allegations.
Full Story
Are Australian weapons destined to be used in Sudan atrocities?
Senior reporters Ben Doherty and Henry Belot tell Nour Haydar about Australia’s growing role in the global weapons trade.
In-depth
Gail Karran activated a secret audio device when she heard her husband, Bill, arrive home on the night she was fatally attacked. New evidence uncovered as part of the Guardian’s Broken trust investigation shows how police placed Gail in danger that night. Bill was released from custody – drunk and barefoot – and given details about Gail’s domestic violence allegations. Officers took no steps to warn her that he had been released.
Gail’s audio recording reveals that when he got home he told her: “Why am I doing this? ’Cause I fucking read what you fucking told the fucking coppers. Today is the day you fucking die, sweetheart.” Detectives initially believed Bill’s false version of events, did not treat the matter as a potential homicide, and failed to conduct basic investigative tasks for several months. He was finally arrested after a coroner ordered police to search for the recording.
Not the news
It’s hotly anticipated and will no doubt be watched in droves, but is the new film Wicked: For Good any, um, good? Peter Bradshaw gives a big thumbs up in his four-star review, sprinkling praise across the cast but singling out “Cynthia Erivo, bringing her black-belt screen presence to the role of Elphaba, and revealing a new vulnerability and maturity”.
Sport
Ashes history? | David Squires draws on Ashes history for his inimitable take on the eagerly anticipated series, while we also have a writer arguing that the Ashes are every bit as epic as The Odyssey and The Iliad.
Cricket | On the pitch, Ben Stokes is fired to succeed in the series that will surely define his career, while his paceman Mark Wood is fully fit and available for selection on Friday. Our writers Martin Pegan and Taha Hashim make the case, respectively, for home and away series wins.
Football | Scotland could qualify for their first World Cup since 1998 if they beat Denmark at home this morning. Follow it live.
Media roundup
Former Liberal senator Hollie Hughes has told the Sydney Morning Herald she’s quitting the party and blasted conservative rivals for undermining Sussan Ley “from day one”. Noel Pearson has suggested to The Australian a radical welfare reform that will help the poorest no matter their race. Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall is set to be transformed with traffic to be banned along a two-block strip, the Courier Mail reports.
What’s happening today
Canberra | Hugh Marks, managing director of the ABC, will address the National Press Club.
Sydney | Lowy Institute executive director Michael Fullilove delivers a speech about foreign policy and Australia’s place in the Asia Pacific.
Music | Aria awards in Sydney.
Sign up
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
