Good morning. Today we reveal allegations from an insider at a market research firm who claims he was asked to fabricate data for the Australian Electoral Commission during the voice referendum.
Meanwhile, documents obtained under freedom of information laws show the former NSW Coalition government was alerted in 2021 to the risk to the public from soil fill products made from construction and demolition waste.
And: fresh from winning a clutch of medals for Australia at the Paris Olympics, track cyclist Matt Richardson is taking off the green and gold and will now race for Great Britain.
Australia
Exclusive | The former NSW Coalition government was warned in 2021 that recycled soil products posed “potential unacceptable risks” to the environment and the community.
Housing crisis | Those working in Australia’s most common jobs cannot comfortably own their own home, new analysis shows; meanwhile, housing construction and renovations will keep declining for “at least 12 months”.
Red centre heat | Potentially record-breaking winter heat in Australia’s centre will carry unseasonably warm temperatures across the country this weekend and into the next week.
Victoria blaze | Nearby residents’ lungs aged “more rapidly” after exposure to fine particles in the smoke from the Hazelwood coalmine fire in 2014.
Write stuff | In many schools across Australia, young children are given a “credential” for their proficiency in handwriting – but is the coveted “pen licence” on the way out?
World
Middle East crisis | The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, says Gaza ceasefire talks might be the “last opportunity” for a hostage deal; Israel is perpetrating war crimes in plain sight in Gaza, says an ex-UK diplomat.
Russia-Ukraine war | Three bridges over the Seym River in Russia have now been destroyed by Ukraine as its forces continue to push forward in the Kursk incursion; while Russia has criticised German progress in the Nord Stream sabotage inquiry.
Yacht sinking | UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch is among those still missing after a superyacht with 22 people onboard sank off the coast of Sicily during a violent storm.
US politics | Joe Biden is to deliver his political swan song at the Democratic national convention in Chicago; Donald Trump has posted deepfakes of Taylor Swift, Kamala Harris and Elon Musk as part of his campaign.
Consuming content | Researchers have found that switching to another online video, or skipping forwards and backwards in the same one, actually makes people more bored.
Full Story
Wieambilla inquest: what motivated the Trains?
A Queensland coroner is investigating the motivations of Gareth, Nathaniel and Stacey Train, who killed constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow and a neighbour, Alan Dare, at their remote property in Wieambilla. So far, the testimonies have included a forensic psychiatrist and an extremism academic. Andrew Messenger speaks with Tamsin Rose about the recommendations that have been made by police and experts to prevent a repeat of this tragedy.
In-depth
During the landmark Indigenous voice to parliament campaign, the AEC relied on multiple consultancy firms to survey Indigenous Australians about the referendum process.
Now, an employee for one of those subcontractors, McNair yellowSquares, says he was instructed to fabricate data on interviews he conducted with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in inner-city Sydney to make it appear as though they were from regional areas and suburban Adelaide.
Indigenous leaders have expressed shock at the claims and say they illustrate the risks run by the government agencies when they fail to engage Indigenous communities directly.
McNair says it is taking the claims seriously and an investigation is ongoing.
Not the news
Emily is dying, so why is she selling off her remaining time to strangers? The 32-year-old Australian has terminal cancer but she is taking part in Time to Live, a daring, moving public art project at Sydney’s Carriageworks to raise money for research – and encourage us to consider how we live. Emily hopes that her remaining time will be seen as “not a clock running out, but a precious gift not to be wasted”. This message hits home, inevitably: are we making the most of it?
The world of sport
Cycling | Track cyclist Matt Richardson has switched from Australia to join the British cycling team; Kaden Groves was beaten at the line by Wout van Aert on stage three of the Vuelta a España.
Football | Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side are taking on newly promoted Leicester in the Premier League.
Cricket | The World Cricketers’ Association is seeking reform with a review of the “broken, unsustainable” cricket calendar.
Media roundup
Repeated exposure to blasts from their own weapons is putting Australian soldiers at risk of brain injuries and neurological conditions, reports ABC News. Cancer-linked PFAs – “forever chemicals” – have been detected across Sydney’s drinking water catchment area, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Fed-up nurses and midwives in Tasmania’s public health system are set to ramp up industrial action over “dangerous” conditions, reports the Mercury.
What’s happening today
NT | The Northern Territory chief minister, Eva Lawler, and the opposition leader, Lia Finocchiaro, will face off on the Sky News NT Leaders’ Debate.
ABS | The latest innovation and characteristics in Australian business data is set to be released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
NSW | A public hearing on the impact of the state regulatory framework for cannabis will be held in Goonellabah.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
