Morning, everyone. From Perth to Sydney, and from Melbourne to Darwin, Australians took to the streets of their towns, cities and remote communities last night to honour the Indigenous schoolboy Cassius Turvey, who was allegedly murdered in Perth. “We’re here in support and solidarity,” one woman at the Sydney event told our reporter in a sentiment matched by thousands of others across the country. Plus, if you haven’t had your Covid booster yet, officials in NSW are expected to urge you to do so today before a new wave of infections. We’ve also got smart reporting and analysis on what’s happening in the housing and rental markets.
Australia
Covid warning | A new wave of Covid-19 infections driven by two Omicron variants are set to hit NSW, the state’s chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, will warn today, with transmission of the virus predicted to increase in coming weeks. Here’s what we know about the new subvariants.
Cassius vigils | Mechelle Turvey told a vigil in Perth that her son Cassius was the “heart and soul of the community” as vigils in towns and cities across the country remembered the 15-year-old who was killed last month. A 21-year-old man has been charged with his murder.
Class action | The Australian government has been ordered to negotiate a settlement with more than 100 Indonesians who say in a class action that they were wrongly imprisoned as adult people smugglers when they were children.
Tax backing | A majority of Australians, including Coalition voters, support taxing the super profits of the booming oil and gas industry, according to the 15th annual Climate of the Nation survey of voters.
Shonky service | Qantas has been dubbed the “spirit of disappointment” by the consumer watchdog group Choice in its annual Shonky awards in the wake of a wave of passenger complaints this year about poor service.
World
Bibi’s back | The former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears likely to form a new government with help from far-right parties after the country’s latest general election produced another close finish.
Climate crisis | Temperatures in Europe have increased at more than twice the global average in the last 30 years, according to a new report.
‘Moral’ crackdown | China has banned all celebrities from endorsing a range of products and banned those with “lapsed morals” from endorsing anything, as part of an ongoing drive to align society with “core socialist values”.
Twitter delay | Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, says the process of reinstating banned accounts such as Donald Trump’s will take several weeks and will not happen until after the US midterm elections next Tuesday.
Tory trouble | It will be “extremely difficult” for the Conservatives to win the next British general election, a top pollster has warned.
Full Story
Remembering Cassius Turvey
As thousands pay tribute to the WA schoolboy Cassius Turvey, Indigenous affairs reporter Sarah Collard speaks to the 15-year-old’s mother about the powerful impact her son made on those around him – and the family’s pursuit of justice.
In-depth
House prices are beginning to fall and we can expect inflation to ease as a result. So does the Reserve Bank really need to keep hiking rates? Greg Jericho crunches the numbers. At the same time, record rental price growth is easing but the market is unlikely to swing in favour of tenants any time soon, while negative gearing will cost taxpayers $20bn a year within a decade.
Not the news
From an imaginary robotic arm to transport the Queen’s coffin around the queues of mourners, to a clip of James Gandolfini on Sesame Street, Scout Boxall shares the 10 funniest things they have ever seen on the internet.
The world of sport
T20 World Cup | India beat Bangladesh in a tense, rain-affected game in Adelaide last night to edge closer to the semis, while it’s all about run rate for Australia.
‘Time management’ | The rugby coach extraordinaire Michael Cheika explains in an interview how he manages to juggle coaching international teams in union and league.
Hawthorn scandal | The partner of a former Hawthorn player who says the club demanded that she terminate a pregnancy says she will not take part in an AFL investigation into the claims.
Media roundup
ATO data shows that almost 800 public companies paid no tax in 2020-21, the ABC reports, while the Australian says the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is taking a forensic approach to tax concessions to see how he can fix the budget. The inquiry into the escape of five lions from their enclosure at Sydney’s Taronga zoo will focus on an “integrity” issue with the fence, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. And the Herald Sun says Labor is plotting a “risky preference deal with Greens” in the state election.
What’s happening today
Press Club | The social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, is speaking at the National Press Club.
Election inquiry | The committee inquiry into the 2022 federal election in Canberra will hear from the Labor and Greens national secretaries and the Nationals NSW state director, Climate 200 and a First Nations roundtable.
Women’s rugby league | Australia get their World Cup under way with a group game against the Cook Islands in York.
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Bored?
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.
