Good morning. With some one-hour appointments now costing $1,000, today we’re taking a deep look at why out-of-pocket fees for specialist doctors are skyrocketing across Australia – and what you can do about it.
Meanwhile, consumer advocates argue that the Australian Taxation Office’s contracts with private call centre operators, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, are leaving vulnerable taxpayers exposed.
Plus: talkback radio veteran John Laws has died and a native title claim is being lodged over Melbourne by the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people. Meanwhile in the UK, senior BBC bosses have resigned amid claims of bias in its news coverage of Donald Trump.
Australia
Exclusive | An Indigenous family has launched a court case against NSW police alleging that racial discrimination is behind excessive bail checks after officers made 150 visits to their house in 20 months.
Special care | Some specialist doctors are now charging up to $1,000 for an appointment, a situation experts say is pricing some people out of seeking care. Our new series looks at what’s behind the price rises, what we can do about it, and explains how to keep costs down.
‘Look after that country’ | A week after Victoria passed into law a formal treaty with Aboriginal people, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people have filed a native title claim over the greater Melbourne area.
EVs on the rise | Electric car sales in Australia continue to reach new record levels, according to figures that reveal the market share for internal combustion engine vehicles fell below 70% for the first time.
Golden tonsils | Beloved by some, decried by others: for decades, John Laws dominated the talkback landscape. He has died aged 90, and we reflect on his life and career.
World
Typhoon lands | More than 1 million people have been evacuated and at least two people killed as flood waters rose in the Philippines before Typhoon Fung-wong’s expected landfall on the east coast.
BBC bias row | The BBC’s director general and the head of BBC News have resigned after accusations of “serious and systemic” bias in its coverage of issues including Donald Trump, Gaza and trans rights.
Russia-Ukraine war | Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is not “afraid” of Donald Trump, unlike other western leaders, in an interview with Luke Harding; Russian attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure reduced its generating capacity to “zero”.
Cop30 summit | Amid squabbles, bombast and competing interests, Fiona Harvey asks: what can the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil achieve as vulnerable countries watch the rise of a populist tide?
US shutdown | Flight cancellations and delays are set to grow across the US as aviation officials mandated a 4% reduction in air traffic in response to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Full Story
The ban on puberty blockers risking harm to Queensland children
Queensland is now the only state to have banned gender-affirming care for transgender children after the Queensland health minister issued a new order banning the prescription of puberty blockers for transgender patients. Reged Ahmad speaks with Ben Smee and Andrew Messenger about whether Queensland’s ban on puberty blockers is ideologically driven.
In-depth
The Australian Taxation Office has outsourced thousands of call centre roles to private operators that pay workers significantly less than public servants and use call targets that can leave vulnerable taxpayers exposed. Jonathan Barrett explains why some consumer advocates are now sounding the alarm.
Not the news
In the latest of our Kindness of strangers series, a reader shares her tale of how a chance meeting with a man while on a short trip to New York City helped her land the job that changed her life. It was a “sliding doors moment” in a city where anything feels possible, she says.
Sport
Motorsport | McLaren’s Lando Norris won the São Paulo Grand Prix as his Australian teammate – and F1 title rival – Oscar Piastri finished in fifth.
Football | Manchester City made a statement as Erling Haaland led a rampant win over Liverpool; a late Thiago double earned a comeback win for Brentford against 10-man Newcastle; Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest revival is gathering pace as a fightback sank Leeds.
Rugby league | Julia Robinson flew again as the Jillaroos dominated New Zealand to win the Pacific Cup.
Tennis | Carlos Alcaraz defeated Alex de Minaur in their ATP Finals clash in Turin.
Media roundup
Australia has more renewable energy than ever before, but more storage is needed to properly harness that power, ABC News reports. The Marylebone Cricket Club is reconsidering the life ban handed down to one of its members for abusing Australian cricketers at Lords, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. South Australia’s farmers are under pressure amid suburban complaints about their legal farming activities, the Advertiser reports.
What’s happening today
RBA | Reserve Bank of Australia deputy governor Andrew House is due to deliver a speech today in Sydney.
Federal court | A three-day hearing is scheduled to begin as Pauline Hanson appeals a racial vilification ruling.
NSW | Closing submissions are expected at the supreme court in a class action over alleged water mismanagement of the Murray Darling.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
