Good morning. More details are emerging about the alleged intended targets of a shooting at the White House press dinner. A Secret Service agent was shot, Donald and Melania Trump rushed out, and journalists dived under tables. It has given new urgency to questions around political violence and gun control.
Meanwhile, there are calls for an inquest after the body of Bikram Lama – a Nepali rough sleeper known as “the birdman” – lay unnoticed for up to a week in bushes outside St James station in Sydney’s busy CBD.
And we take a look at how a change of state government derailed Queensland’s shift away from coal-fired power.
Australia
‘Has to be a wake-up call’ | The NSW attorney general has been urged to order an inquest into the death of Nepali rough sleeper Bikram Lama, known as “the birdman” of Sydney’s St James station.
Renewables stall | In 2024, it felt like Queensland’s transition away from coal-fired power was happening at speeds never seen before. But then the LNP government brought in a much different approach.
Secret to success | Australia is the world’s fourth-largest black truffle producer – and now scientists have identified the environmental factors that make them flourish.
Cosmeticorexia | An uptick of children “obsessed” with skincare has experts in Australia concerned about the long-term effects of increased occupation with appearance at a young age.
‘Deeply alarmed’ | An attack at Sydney’s Prince of Wales hospital that left a nurse seriously injured has fuelled calls for improved safety and security in emergency departments.
World
Trump shooting incident | Washington DC is in shock after the White House press dinner shooting. The suspected gunman was named as Cole Tomas Allen and he was allegedly targeting Trump administration officials, according to the US attorney general. Shots rang out, pandemonium erupted: how the White House press dinner shooting unfolded; at the White House correspondents’ dinner, darkness came viscerally close, David Smith writes.
Middle East crisis | Hopes of a breakthrough in negotiations between Iran and the US have faded further amid a deepening sense of a deadlock in the conflict despite intense regional diplomatic activity.
Hungary upheaval | The incoming PM, Péter Magyar, has accused Viktor Orbán-linked figures of trying to shield their riches and assets from accountability, as they rush to move their wealth out of Hungary.
Operation Cushion | Final preparations are reportedly under way for a millionaire-funded plan – called “pure animal cruelty” by critics – to tow a stranded whale from Germany into the North Sea.
Belfast bombing | “Murderous intent and capability” still exists within paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, officers have said after a car exploded outside a police station on the outskirts of Belfast.
Full Story
The new Michael Jackson biopic. Why now?
A blockbuster film about the controversial singer could make US$1bn worldwide. Owen Myers speaks with Nosheen Iqbal about the biopic’s troubled history and why it is being made now. Lanre Bakare then explains Michael Jackson’s enduring popularity – and why so many fans choose to ignore the allegations made against him.
In-depth
As soon as petrol prices started to rise in response to the Middle East conflict, many Australians – already grappling with high living costs – changed their spending habits. Now households are slicing even deeper into their budgets as the months-long oil crisis ripples across global economies, affecting the prices of a surprising array of products from spirits to condoms.
Not the news
In the latest in our Kindness of strangers series, we hear from an expectant mother. Her shoelace had come undone during a shopping trip – but she was so pregnant that she couldn’t see her feet. A stranger offered to help: a small gesture in a vulnerable moment and a reaffirmation of the goodness of people.
Sport
AFL | A masterclass on Anzac Day encapsulates why the unflappable Scott Pendlebury is so good, Jonathan Horn writes.
Marathon | Kenyan star runner Sabastian Sawe broke the two-hour barrier in a historic triumph at the London Marathon. See the race in pictures.
Football | Enzo Fernández saw off Leeds to set up a Chelsea v Manchester City FA Cup final; Sam Kerr was controversially denied a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 4-1 victory at Everton; Olivia Smith’s late strike gave Arsenal the edge over OL Lyonnes in the WCL semi-final.
Cycling | Tadej Pogačar held off French teenager Paul Seixas to claim a third straight Liège-Bastogne-Liège title.
Surfing | George Pittar broke an eight-year surfing duck at the Margaret River Pro.
Media roundup
A fleet of Bushmaster armoured vehicles are being sold to the Netherlands in a boon for Australia’s defence industry, ABC News reports. A group of women and children linked to Islamic State who have been attempting to return to Australia from Syria have plane tickets to Australia, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. A Melbourne-built humanoid companion robot named Abi is now at work in dozens of aged care homes, the Age reports.
What’s happening today
Public holiday | Today is a public holiday in NSW and ACT.
VIC | The Women Deliver conference is being held in Melbourne.
VIC | Hearings are scheduled in the ACCC’s case against Woolworths in Melbourne.
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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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