Good morning. Calls are growing for Scott Morrison to face consequences for swearing himself in to five extra portfolios – treasury, home affairs, finance, health and resources – when he was prime minister. And there is a remarkable project afoot to bring the Tasmanian tiger back to life through Jurassic Park-style genetic engineering.
Scientists in Australia and the US have launched an ambitious multimillion-dollar project to bring back the thylacine, a marsupial that died out in the 1930s, and reintroduce it to its native Tasmania. A Texas-based biotech company is teaming up with the University of Melbourne, which has sequenced a “complete” blueprint of the extinct animal’s genome. The company says the first joeys could be born within a decade – ahead of its other project, to de-extinct the woolly mammoth.
There is a growing push for Scott Morrison to be investigated by parliament’s powerful privileges committee over his decision to secretly appoint himself to five additional ministerial portfolios. Anthony Albanese on Tuesday labelled the appointments a misleading of parliament and warned Morrison and his ministers would be “held to account”. The Greens’ legal affairs spokesperson, Senator David Shoebridge, and the independent MP Sophie Scamps have said the privileges committee should investigate Morrison. Guardian Australia has compiled a guide to explain everything you need know about the affair. And our chief political correspondent Sarah Martin marvels at this mess, saying there must be consequences for Morrison.
Ukraine is engaged in a counteroffensive aimed at creating “chaos within Russian forces” by striking at the invaders’ supply lines deep into occupied territories, according to a key adviser to the president. Mykhailo Podolyak told the Guardian there could be more attacks in the “next two or three months” similar to Tuesday’s mysterious strikes on a railway junction and airbase in Crimea, as well as last week’s hit on Russian war planes at the peninsula’s Saky aerodrome.
Australia
A reconstruction authority will be established in New South Wales to replace part of Resilience NSW, in an overhaul of the state’s emergency management after unprecedented flooding earlier this year. The body will become the state’s lead agency responsible for disaster prevention and recovery.
A senior official inside Investment NSW urged colleagues to keep records of all documents relating to the appointment of the former NSW Business Chamber chief executive Stephen Cartwright to a lucrative London trade job because she said it would “come under scrutiny no doubt”.
The cryptocurrency casino king who bought the most expensive house in Victoria reportedly plans to raze the $80m property and rebuild.
Australia could be lashed with more rain and possible floods for the next three months, with La Niña conditions predicted to return for a rare third consecutive year.
The wreck of Captain James Cook’s Endeavour is under threat not just from shipworms but also from fish, crustaceans, and the ocean itself, maritime archaeologists warn.
The world
China’s ambassador to the UK has said Britain would face “serious consequences” if it crossed the “red lines” over Taiwan and warned against following in the footsteps of the US.
Water cuts are expected to be announced on Tuesday in western US states in the grip of a severe “megadrought” that has dropped levels in the country’s largest two reservoirs to record lows.
A federal judge in Florida will hear arguments on Thursday over whether to make public an affidavit used to justify a search of Donald Trump’s Florida estate, as broadening legal disputes on multiple fronts intensify against the former president and his allies.
The German film-maker Wolfgang Petersen, known for films such as Das Boot, Air Force One and In the Line of Fire, has died at the age of 81.
Recommended reads
In this week’s Three things, Guardian Australia’s weekly interview about objects, SBS World News host Janice Petersen shares the story of a gimmicky gadget that stole her heart. “I use it on unwitting members of my family, friends and sometimes people I’ve just met.” Intriguing …
Katharine Pollock has a confession – she absolutely loves Wayne’s World and she’s no longer ashamed to admit it. “In year’s gone by,” she writes, “I would have picked a more edgy and impressive film as my favourite – but I truly believe this Mike Myers comedy is a great love story.”
“Doctor, how long do you think I have?” Oncologist Ranjana Srivastava still dreads the question, but owes her patients an honest answer. She writes: “In my 20s, I lacked the clinical experience to answer this question confidently, and the life experience to understand why it is so vital.”
Listen
After revelations that Scott Morrison was secretly appointed to five additional ministerial portfolios during his term, Anthony Albanese is seeking legal advice and promising to hold his predecessor to account. In today’s Full Story, Guardian Australia’s chief political correspondent Sarah Martin talks to Laura Murphy-Oates about how and why Morrison was appointed to these portfolios, and what this tells us about accountability and secrecy at the highest levels of government.
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
Six of the nine games in the AFL’s round 23 have finals implications and for no less than eight teams – nine at a stretch – it is a round of great significance. Here’s what’s at stake in the final round of home-and-away fixtures
Media roundup
MPs are starting to question the governor general’s role in the Scott Morrison ministry saga, The Sydney Morning Herald reports, and the ABC reveals that even Australia’s spies were unaware Morrison was home affairs minister. And conservatives in the Anglican church have formed a breakaway movement to oppose same-sex marriage, The Age reports.
Coming up
NSW train commuters face more disruptions today with a six-hour strike.
Andrew McKellar will address the National Press Club.
And if you’ve read this far …
The birth of an endangered and very cute red panda cub at a UK zoo is being celebrated as a “symbol of hope”.
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