Good morning. Today we reveal that the son of a leading Iranian politician was able to secure Australian residency – raising questions about our visa and sanctions rules.
We take a deep dive into the numbers to show how and where voter shifts in the Farrer byelection drove One Nation’s David Farley to victory – and led to the “total destruction” of Liberal support in the electorate.
We look at a mysterious whale behaviour known as “gaping” seen in the waters off Australia. And, evacuations are under way in Tenerife of passengers from the cruise ship at the centre of a hantavirus outbreak.
Australia
Road to victory | The voter swing towards One Nation played out across Farrer in every polling booth – even in regional centres such as Albury. Voters in regional NSW have been putting a stick in the eye of major parties for decades, Julianne Schultz writes.
‘Dropping the ball’ | The son of Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has lived and worked in Melbourne, raising questions about national security and sanctions.
‘Really frightened’ | The family of a homeless First Nations woman with septicemia fear she will die without a safe home – but it could be years before she’s at the top of the public housing waiting list.
‘Deeply distressing’ | A woman has been charged with using offensive language after alleged antisemitic comments were made at an under-12s netball match involving a Jewish-led team in Sydney.
Back in the saddle | As people seek out cheaper and more eco-friendly modes of transport, learn-to-cycle courses are booming across Australia as adults saddle up for a “golden age” of biking.
World
Middle East crisis | Iran has replied to a US peace proposal as the month-old ceasefire showed signs of fraying as drones hit Gulf nations – and Benjamin Netanyahu warned the war is “not over”. A Nobel laureate’s smuggled memoir details beatings and neglect in Iranian prisons.
Hantavirus cruise | Dozens of passengers and crew have been evacuated in Tenerife from a cruise ship at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak; British paratroopers landed on the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha for a suspected hantavirus case.
Starmer at risk | Keir Starmer’s chances of staying on as UK PM appear to be diminishing as about 40 Labour MPs called for him to quit or name an exit date after disastrous local election results.
Russia-Ukraine war | Russia has been conducting assault operations on the Ukrainian frontline in breach of the three-day ceasefire announced by Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
Hungary’s next steps | Péter Magyar, Hungary’s new PM, apologised to those maligned by the state during Viktor Orbán’s time in power, as a politician’s viral dance moves mark a new, optimistic era for Hungary.
Full Story
One Nation’s historic win in Farrer
On Saturday, the rightwing party won a lower-house seat for the first time as voters registered their fury in the New South Wales Farrer byelection. And while newly elected MP David Farley may have been on the ticket, many are saying this is very much Pauline Hanson’s victory. Sarah Martin and Sarah Basford Canales speak with Reged Ahmad from Albury the morning after the seismic result.
In-depth
Off the coast of Australia, a humpback whale seems to be pirouetting, sweeping its pectoral fins through the water, its massive jaw hanging wide open. The animal is putting on a rarely documented phenomenon known as “gaping”. With the help of citizen scientists, researchers studying humpbacks believe the mysterious underwater ballet could in fact be a social display.
Not the news
Playwright Hannah Belanszky spent a year talking to children in youth centres and juvenile detention. Her new play, Saplings, opening at Sydney Opera House this week before a national tour, is a collage of brief scenes showing the different ways young people come into conflict with the law, become ensnared and grapple with its systems.
Sport
AFL | Woeful rabble v flag contenders: the contrast between two AFL clubs in Western Australia could not be more stark, Brendan Foster writes.
Football | Arsenal took a dramatic Premier League win as West Ham were denied by a huge VAR call; a late equaliser stunned Newcastle as Nottingham Forest step towards safety; Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler were both on the scoresheet as Manchester City beat Chelsea in the Women’s FA Cup semi-final.
Cycling | Paul Magnier powered to victory in another nail-biting sprint on stage three of the Giro d’Italia.
Cricket | England squeezed past New Zealand in the first women’s ODI thanks to a knock from stand-in captain Charlie Dean.
Tennis | Casper Ruud says Jannik Sinner is “beatable” as the world No 1 seeks a record run at Italian Open.
Media roundup
The federal budget will reveal details on how AI will be used to speed up assessments of housing and energy projects waiting for environmental approval, ABC News reports. Rugby Australia signed off on a secret plan that would have structured the game to favour NSW and Queensland at the expense of other states, the Age reports. The launch date is looming for mega tunnelling machines’ descent under Sydney Harbour in the final stage of the Western Harbour Tunnel project, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
What’s happening today
Antisemitism | Hearings continue for the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion.
Frocks | Australian fashion week begins in Sydney.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
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