Morning everyone. Ever since Clive Palmer spent $117m at the last election, there have been growing calls for curbs on political donations. Now an alliance of crossbenchers want to outlaw gifts of more than $1.5m. We have the full story, plus what to expect from the Reserve Bank meeting this afternoon, Donald Trump’s money problems, and how Vladimir Putin has celebrated his landslide election victory so huge it might have made even the most hardline autocrat blush.
Australia
Rate decision | The Reserve Bank is widely tipped to leave its key interest rate on hold at today’s board meeting, but economists are split on how soon borrowers can expect rate relief.
Money in politics | Lower house independents including Kate Chaney, Zali Steggall, the Greens, David Pocock, Lidia Thorpe and the Jacqui Lambie Network will jointly introduce their new “fair and transparent elections” bill today to outlaw large donations of more than $1.5m. It comes as the Greens plan to introduce a private senator’s bill to give the ACCC powers to “smash the supermarket duopoly”.
Renting heat | Renters are being forced to live in sweltering conditions, with homes recording inside temperatures 3C hotter than outside across the summer, a new report has revealed.
Terror task | Australia’s online safety regulator has issued notices to Telegram, Google, Meta, Reddit and X asking how they are taking action against terror material on their platforms.
Artesian will | Queensland farming body AgForce has launched legal action against the federal government in a bid to stop liquified carbon dioxide from being pumped into the Great Artesian Basin.
World
Putin push | Vladimir Putin has celebrated his presidential election victory and the 10th anniversary of the annexation of Crimea at a rally in Moscow, while also declaring the occupied Donbas as part of the “New Russia”. Kremlin officials earlier claimed the nation was consolidating around the president’s rule after he took 87.28% of the vote. Officials retained straight faces even as they announced the astronomical numbers.
Trump travails | Donald Trump’s lawyers told a court it was impossible for him to post a bond covering the full amount of his $454m civil fraud judgment while he appeals. Meanwhile, Trump has renewed calls for Liz Cheney to be jailed for her role in investigating his actions during the January 6 Capitol attack.
Musk defence | Elon Musk has defended his stance on diversity and free speech in a tense interview with former CNN anchor Don Lemon during which the billionaire was also asked about taking ketamine.
Branching out | A tree mural that appeared overnight on a residential building in north London is the work of Banksy, the anonymous street artist has confirmed.
Haiti violence | Gunmen have assaulted two upscale neighbourhoods in Haiti’s capital in an attack that left at least a dozen people dead as the gang insurrection that prompted the prime minister to resign continues.
Full Story
Could Australia go nuclear?
As Australia’s big private electricity generators today dismiss nuclear energy as a viable source of power for their customers for at least a decade, Graham Readfearn assesses Coalition plans to make it an election issue and whether the aim is achievable.
In-depth
Despite Tasmania using its natural beauty for tourism marketing, questions about the environment were almost entirely absent from the campaign ahead of state election day this Saturday. Adam Morton asks whether strong polling support to outlaw native logging and inshore salmon farms will be reflected in the results as Labor tries to topple the Liberals after 10 years in the wilderness.
Not the news
High Country is a new police murder mystery drama starring Leah Purcell as the city cop relocated to the titular Victorian region who finds herself tasked with an unexpectedly high body count. Although it has a “grab bag” of genre elements (city cop has to cope with country folk!), Luke Buckmaster reckons it compensates with compact writing, a good pace and a towering lead performance from Purcell. Plus, he really wants to know whodunnit.
The world of sport
AFL | The league’s new team will be called the Tasmania Devils and wear a myrtle green, primrose yellow and rose red guernsey with an image of the island splashed on the front.
Premier League | Nottingham Forest have received a four-point deduction for breaching the profitability and sustainability rules, dropping them into the relegation zone, one point from the last safe spot.
Football | Violence in Turkey’s top league is “unacceptable”, Fifa boss Gianni Infantino has said after Fenerbahce players were attacked on the pitch by fans following their win at Trabzonspor.
Media roundup
The Age promises the inside story of how the ABC tried to take Antoinette Lattouf off the air for remarks about the Israel-Gaza war. The Australian reckons that the pace of housebuilding is being outstripped four to one by new migrants, while Queensland premier Steven Miles is not getting much love from the Courier Mail for scrapping the Olympic stadium plan. The Hobart Mercury puns that the “Devil’s in the details” as it rounds up reaction to the unveiling of Tasmania’s new AFL team’s name, uniform and logo.
What’s happening today
Business | Case management hearing in ACCC v Qantas over sales of cancelled flights.
Economy | Reserve Bank rates decision at 2.30pm.
Melbourne | Violet Coco appealing 21-day prison sentence for blocking traffic.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
