Good afternoon. The federal government’s cheaper childcare package went into law on 1 July, but there are concerns childcare centres are hiking rates to absorb the subsidy.
An interim report by the ACCC, the consumer watchdog, found childcare centres had raised fees between 20% and 32% from 2018 to 2022 – dramatically outpacing inflation. The education minister, Jason Clare, says the ACCC “is watching what’s happening right now to see whether providers across the country are playing by the rules”.
And Adele is the latest artist to call on fans to stop throwing objects at musicians on stage.
Top news
Linda Burney condemns ‘Trump-style’ politics on voice | In a speech at the National Press Club, the Indigenous affairs minister cautioned Australians against becoming “polarised” by the no campaign “making false claims”. “Do not let the no campaign get their way with using Trump-style politics in Australia. Do not let them divide us.”
Babysitter charged with murdering Adelaide toddler | Ronan Davies, who was 17 months old, died in June after being taken to hospital with severe head injuries. A 30-year-old man, who is said to be a family friend and was babysitting the child, is alleged to have inflicted the injuries on the afternoon of 7 June.
Clare Nowland court hearing | A magistrate has berated prosecutors for allowing the police officer accused of Tasering a 95-year-old grandmother not to appear in person before court. Snr Const Kristian White appeared before the Cooma local court via video link. “Who runs the court, [the DPP] or me? Dumbo sitting on the bench here has to suck it up … I am not happy,” magistrate Roger Clisdell said, before throwing out White’s bail application.
Melbourne bus ploughs into houses | A bus driver and a passenger are in a stable condition in hospital after a bus carrying more than 10 people crashed through two houses on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula after it was hit by a cement truck.
Brazilian tribute to Iran in Brisbane | The Brazilian football team has arrived in Australia for the Women’s World Cup with a strong statement on human rights. Their plane bore the pictures of Iranian protesters Mahsa Amini and Amir Nasr Azadani on the tail. On the body of the plane were the words: “No woman should be forced to cover her head” and “No man should be hanged for saying this”.
UN declares worldwide El Niño | It’s official. For Australia, El Niño events increase the risk of drought, heatwaves, bushfires and coral bleaching.
Israeli forces withdraw from Jenin | Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired five rockets toward Israel, the Israeli military said, as its forces pulled out from the Palestinian city of Jenin after carrying out one of their biggest military operations in the occupied West Bank for years. The rockets from Gaza were intercepted. Israeli jets responded with strikes on the blockaded strip, with no immediate reports of casualties on either side. Twelve Palestinians, at least five of them fighters, were killed during the Jenin incursion.
France riots ease | French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the death of a 27-year-old man who was hit by a projectile at the time of the riots in Marseille on Saturday. The unrest has appeared to ease as President Emmanuel Macron met more than 300 mayors whose municipalities were affected by the violence to explore the “deeper reasons” for it.
Adele calls on fans to ‘show etiquette’ | The British singer was filmed holding a T-shirt gun as she spoke to the audience during her Las Vegas residency. “Have you noticed how people are like, forgetting fucking show etiquette at the moment? People just throwing shit on stage, have you seen them?” she said. “I fucking dare you. Dare you to throw something at me and I’ll fucking kill you.”
Russia mulling prisoner swap | The Kremlin has suggested it could be open to a possible prisoner exchange involving jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, but reaffirmed that such talks must be held away from the public eye.
Full Story
A week of grief and fury in France
The Guardian’s Paris correspondent, Angelique Chrisafis, discusses the deep anger that has been unleashed in France and what could be done to tackle it. Listen to this 29-minute episode.
What they said …
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“It’s choking us. It’s frustrating and sad. We spent so much time renovating this place and putting so much into it, but my mortgage repayments have almost doubled and it’s becoming a joke.” – Andre Lattouf
In the mortgage stress belt of Sydney’s west, residents and businesses can no longer make payments to keep their properties.
In numbers
During that time, the value of their government contracts increased by 400%.
Before bed read
New Aboriginal cultural heritage laws in Western Australia hope to take the state from a “wild west” to a better way.
“I’ve been over here a couple of years now and they do things a little bit differently,” says Jamie Lowe, a Gunditjmara Djabwurrung man from Victoria and chief executive of the National Native Title Council.
“The opponents [to the laws] have had their own way for such a long time. It’ll be hard for them to adjust. That’s not letting them off the hook, but I think they’re in a bit of shock at the moment that they might have to do business in a different way.”
Ask us anything
Confused about the voice? Frustrated by the cost-of-living crisis? Worried about regional stability, Aukus and relations with China? We want to hear your questions on anything Australian politics and foreign policy!
Our Australian Politics podcast – posted weekly on Saturday – is having a special “Ask Us Anything” episode this week.
Send your questions to australia.podcasts@theguardian.com.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: PROD. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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