Morning everyone. Centrelink staff say their toilet breaks are being timed as part of an “intrusive and stressful” effort to reduce average call wait times. We’ve got the full story, and we also have the latest in the Antoinette Lattouf stoush, Penny Wong’s overnight meetings with Palestinian leaders, and why Arnold Schwarzenegger ran into trouble over a luxury watch. Plus, we explain why (some) Queenslanders are fed up with an ancient law relating to cows.
Australia
ABC tribunal date | The ABC will defend a wrongful dismissal claim by the presenter Antoinette Lattouf at the Fair Work Commission in Sydney today after its managing director, David Anderson, told staff that the broadcaster rejected claims it was influenced by outside lobbyists when it fired the journalist in December.
‘Intrusive and stressful’ | Centrelink call centre staff claim they are being monitored minute-by-minute, including the length of their bathroom breaks, as part of a management-led crackdown to improve average call wait times that have nearly doubled in the last year.
Wong meetings | Penny Wong has held talks with Palestinian leaders and people affected by settler violence as she continued to urge for peace in the Middle East. She also passed on Australian concerns about civilains deaths in Gaza to Israel’s president.
Audit clash | Four consultancy firms reported more than 520 real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest while being paid more than $40m to audit the safety and quality of aged care homes over two years.
Treaty talks | Victorian traditional owner groups are calling for special land rights to prevent land they own from ever being repossessed by the government, as the state prepares for nation-first treaty talks this year.
World
Glacier meltdown | The Greenland ice cap is losing an average of 30m tonnes of ice an hour – 20% more than was previously thought – a study reveals today. Some scientists fear the deluge of freshwater might mean ocean currents no longer carry warm water to the UK and western Europe, with severe consequences for humanity.
Houthi terror listing | The US has put Yemen’s Houthi rebels back on its list of global terrorists as the group warned it would view any such move by Britain or America as a declaration of war.
Smart move | Apple has overtaken Samsung as the world’s top smartphone seller, ending the Korean tech firm’s 12-year run as industry leader as it sold 234.6m units last year.
Royal woes | King Charles is to be treated in hospital for an enlarged prostate, while Catherine, the Princess of Wales, has been admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery.
Bad timing | The actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been held at Munich airport for allegedly failing to declare an expensive watch he was planning to sell.
Full Story
Will South Africa’s genocide case against Israel succeed?
South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza at hearings in the international court of justice. Chris McGreal reports on what happens next.
In-depth
When Steven Hadley crashed into a cow while riding his trail bike along a rural road in Queensland (pictured), he was thrown more than 12 metres into the air and suffered life-changing injuries. Such are the risks of motorbiking. But what he didn’t expect was that a 400-year-old principle of English law left him without legal recourse against farmers allowing their livestock to roam the roads. Andrew Messenger untangles the story.
Not the news
A fictional church closely resembling Hillsong is the subject of Stan’s new drama Prosper, which features Richard Roxburgh as its founder trying to keep things together amid sordid goings-on involving drugs, death and deceit. After a roaring start to the eight-part drama, Luke Buckmaster feared it might run out of steam but it keeps delivering “crackling and fizzing and occasionally reaching sensational inflection points”.
The world of sport
Australian Open | Jordan Thompson went down in four nail-biting sets to world No 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas last night but Alex de Minaur cruised past Matteo Arnaldi and into the third round. The strong showing by home players continued as Storm Hunter (pictured) ousted Germany’s Laura Siegemund in three tough sets over 141 minutes.
‘Tell it to my face’ | Novak Djokovic clashed with a heckler during his tense match against another Australian, Alexei Popyrin. The Serb won in four sets but confronted a man in the crowd after “tolerating” comments for the whole of the match.
Cricket | Australia will aim to build on their overnight 59-2 in reply to the West Indies’ 188 when day two of the first Test against the West Indies starts in Adelaide this morning, despite the loss of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
Media roundup
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, tells the Telegraph that his government won’t meet its ambitious housing targets as the Sydney Morning Herald hears from unit-owners worried that their buildings might collapse because of defective concrete. Beachgoers have been warned about the dangers of the deadly blue-ringed octopus after a reported sighting in Tasmania’s north, the Mercury reports.
What’s happening today
Business | Tech company Atlassian will release a report on its first 1,000 days operating with a remote workforce.
Housing | Core Logic’s property report will show unit values rising faster than houses in some parts of the country.
Sydney | Judgment is due in an employment lawsuit brought by a British NRL referee who claims he was stood down because of his accent.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
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