Morning everyone. He’s probing on the voice, he’s testing on the cost of living, and now Peter Dutton is going nuclear in his bid to land some punches on Labor. In a speech later today, the opposition leader will make the case for nuclear power and accuse Labor of being in an Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland-style “rabbit hole” on renewables. We’ve also got a great exclusive about the rise and rise of SUVs and utes on our roads, along with news and reaction on a stunning Mitch Marsh century in the third Ashes Test – and all the tennis from Wimbledon, too.
Australia
Exclusive | Carmakers have doubled how much they spend advertising SUVs and utes to Australians over the past decade, which has coincided with surging uptake of larger cars, triggering calls for a ban on advertising the highest polluting vehicles.
Renewables ‘rabbit hole’ | Peter Dutton has ramped up calls for nuclear power in Australia, arguing they would help avoid dependence on wind and solar technology from China and is a natural next step from the Aukus pact. He also accused Labor of being “down a rabbit hole” on renewables.
Vaping deal | Tobacco company Philip Morris International has made a deal with some Australian pharmacies to supply its VEEV vaping products below cost, despite the company’s opposition to the government’s new prescription vaping model.
Flu season | Influenza cases have surged among children, according to the latest data, catching families off guard. Almost 70% of people admitted to hospital with the virus since April were aged under 16, with vaccination rates low.
Queensland crunch | The political future of the renegade Queensland Liberal senator Gerard Rennick will be decided at the LNP convention today in a push to remove him from a winnable spot on the party’s Senate ticket.
World
Malaria breakthrough | A long-awaited vaccine for malaria has been announced for rollout across 12 African countries over the next two years, potentially saving tens of thousands of lives.
Prigozhin ‘returns’ | Russian Wagner mercenary chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has returned to Russia, the Belarusian president has said, despite a peace deal with the Kremlin under which he had agreed to relocate to Belarus. It seems to be business as usual for Wagner in Africa, while Human Rights Watch has called on Russia and Ukraine to stop using cluster bombs.
Sub shutdown | Nearly three weeks after its submersible vessel Titan imploded, killing all five people on board, OceanGate is reportedly suspending all exploration and commercial operations.
Solar innovation | Researchers say they’ve passed a key threshold with new “tandem” solar power cells now capturing more power than the current silicon cells. It should help make solar cheaper within years.
Twitter ‘fail’ | The needle between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk continued as the Facebook founder launched conversation platform Threads by saying the Tesla chief had failed to make Twitter “a mega app”. But Twitter is threatening to sue Meta for using its trade secrets.
Full Story
Newsroom edition: what’s the furore over the cricket really about?
As the Third Test produced another thrilling day of cricket in Leeds overnight, we rewind slightly to Sunday’s controversy at Lord’s. Gabrielle Jackson speaks to editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor and deputy editor David Munk about how cricket sparked some diplomatic jostling.
In-depth
With the inquiry into the $1.8bn Robodebt scandal due to reveal its findings this morning, we’ve highlighted six things to look out for when the report lands. Such as: will there be adverse findings? What did Scott Morrison and other ministers know? Was there a public service cover-up? And what does it all mean for victims?
Not the news
Since Covid, Rebecca Shaw has become addicted to reaction videos, the online phenomenon of watching people watch videos and see their reaction. And she’s got a confession to make: it’s turned her into a John Farnham fan.
The world of sport
Men’s Ashes | Mitchell Marsh hit a brilliant century to rescue Australia and guide his team to 263 all out on an action-packed first day of the third Test at Headingley which leaves England 195 runs behind with seven first innings wickets remaining. English quick Mark Wood reckons he can bowl even faster next innings, after his five-for.
Wimbledon | Australia’s men have fought back at Wimbledon with Alex De Minaur, Chris O’Connell and Jason Kubler completing rain-delayed first round victories. And Murray v Tsitsipas, at the time of writing, was evenly balanced.
Cycling | Tadej Pogacar won the mountainous sixth stage of the Tour de France in the Pyrenees with a late attack on defending champion Jonas Vingegaard, but Australia’s Jai Hindley faded after his stage five win.
Women’s World Cup | Matildas midfielder Katrina Gorry is heading into the tournament in the best shape of her career – and after becoming a mother.
Media roundup
Australia faces a “difficult path” to avoid inflation becoming embedded in the economy, according to OECD chief and former finance minister, Mathias Cormann, the Australian reports. Sydney commuters faced chaos last night after two lines stopped running because a crucial staff member called in sick, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. South Australia Greens politicians who blocked the federal housing initiative hold property portfolios worth millions, the Adelaide Advertiser claims. The Courier Mail has “everything you need to know” about Queensland’s decision to ban mobile phones in schools.
What’s happening today
New South Wales | A homelessness database and map will be launched at 10am.
Bruce Lehrmann | There will be an interlocutory hearing in defamation cases against Network Ten and ABC in federal court, Sydney.
Queensland | The LNP conference starts in Brisbane.
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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.
