Good morning. Supermarkets are being put on notice to do more to pass savings on to consumers. Anthony Albanese says his government will “look at every option”, with the former minister Craig Emerson being brought in to lead a review of the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct.
The cruise line industry – which took a major reputation hit during the deadly Covid pandemic – has seen a remarkable turnaround, with 1.1 million people expected to take a cruise in Australia this season.
Meanwhile, scientists are calling for a rapid reduction in global fossil fuel burning as new figures confirm that 2023 was the world’s hottest year by some margin.
And the former US president Donald Trump has attended the appeals court in Washington DC as his lawyers make their case for his immunity from the 2020 election interference case – but judges have seemed skeptical.
Australia
A remarkable revival | The cruise line industry has come roaring back to life, with aggressive pricing drawing a record number of passengers cruising to Australian ports – surpassing pre-Covid levels.
Cost-of-living crisis | Supermarkets could face tougher rules on how they set prices or stiffer penalties from consumer complaints, as the government ramps up pressure on big retailers to pass on savings to shoppers.
Renewable energy | The boss of Australia’s most advanced offshore windfarm is confident the rejection of a major port facility in Victoria over potential impacts to wetlands will not delay the project.
‘Very challenging’ | The wet and hot Victorian summer could mean a difficult vintage for King Valley grape growers, after heavy rain and flooding damaged vines and elevated risks of mildew and mould.
Bernard Collaery trial | The ACT court of appeal has ruled that the secrecy that shrouded the whistleblower lawyer’s trial risked damaging the public’s faith in the administration of justice.
World
Donald Trump | Judges in the Washington DC appeals court were skeptical as Trump’s lawyers argued that he should enjoy absolute immunity from prosecution in the 2020 election interference case.
Israel-Gaza war | Antony Blinken is seeking consensus over Gaza’s future as violence continues and fire between Israel and Hezbollah forces many to flee southern Lebanon, while a Hezbollah drone strike has hit a key Israeli military command centre.
Climate crisis | After high temperatures drove heatwaves, floods and wildfires across the globe, new data has confirmed that 2023 “smashed” the record for the world’s hottest year by a huge margin.
French politics | Emmanuel Macron has appointed Gabriel Attal as France’s youngest prime minister in modern times, as the president seeks to reinvigorate a difficult second term.
Nasa Peregrine 1 | The first moon lander to launch from the US in half a century will not make it to the lunar surface due to a “critical loss of propellant”, its operators have confirmed.
Full Story
‘We heard the curlews calling’: Wesley Enoch’s enduring connection to place
Playwright, theatre director and Quandamooka man Wesley Enoch shares how a wedding ring, curlews and a “grandfather” ghost gum brought him the connection to country he craved. His story is part of The tale I dine out on, a summer series in which 10 of our favourite storytellers – actors, comedians, writers and Guardian staff – recount a story that never fails to entertain.
In-depth
Emma Dawson, the executive director of thinktank Per Capita, argues that stage-three tax cuts are politics over policy and present a miserable quandary for Albanese and the treasurer, Jim Chalmers. She says if the government is determined to forge ahead with the Coalition’s fiscal booby trap, any political capital must be used on genuine redistributive tax reform.
Not the news
Dating apps have made romance feel like another chore to manage. In place of locked eyes and butterflies there’s monotonous swiping, weighing up someone’s potential from a few judiciously selected snapshots. But as more Australian singles swear off “the apps”, a new generation is bringing back an old way of meeting in real life: speed dating.
The world of sport
Cricket | Alyssa Healy led the way as Australia clinched the third and final T20 international against India by seven wickets, securing a 2-1 series victory.
Tennis | Emma Raducanu has pulled out of a pre-Australian Open charity match after feeling “sore”, while Thanasi Kokkinakis has crashed out of the Adelaide International in the first round.
Football | Franz Beckenbauer was a player out of time who made football evolve with him, writes Jonathan Wilson; and Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold is out for “a few weeks” with an injury.
Media roundup
Residents of Victorian towns hit by major flooding twice in two years will almost certainly face significant rises in insurance premiums, amid warnings that uninsurable homes may need to be moved out of extreme flood zones, reports the Age. The number of aspiring Australians passing citizenship tests has plunged after the tests were changed by the Morrison government, reports the Australian. Health unions are demanding action after just a paltry number of ambulances were available to respond to emergencies in Tasmania’s south earlier this week, reports the Mercury.
What’s happening today
New South Wales | A ruling is due over a legal challenge by activists against the North East Regional Forest Agreement.
ABS | Monthly consumer price index and job vacancies figures are due to be released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
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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.
