Good morning. US senators have blocked a bid to enshrine abortion rights into federal law, Australian writers are urging voters to prioritise climate action, a Coalition minister is accused of using a youth charity endorsement without permission and Ukraine initiates war crimes trials.
Anthony Albanese has been declared the winner of the final leaders’ debate of the election campaign. The Labor leader and Scott Morrison put forward competing views on wage rises, economic management and energy policy in a tightly managed discussion last night.
Writers have banded together to urge voters to prioritise climate concerns. More than 60 authors, led by award-winning novelist Kate Grenville, have not backed any parties or candidates, but have asked voters to scrutinise the climate credentials of those running. Meanwhile, the communications minister, Paul Fletcher, has been asked by the Police Citizens Youth Club to stop using election flyers carrying an endorsement used without the permission of the charity or the local president. Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned that patience for talks with Russia “disappears” with “each new Bucha, each new Mariupol”. Fighting in Ukraine’s east appears to be settling towards a deadly stalemate. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s prosecutor general is due to launch war crime trials, with three Russian prisoners of war accused of targeting or murdering civilians, and a soldier who allegedly killed a man before raping his wife the first of the more than 10,700 reported cases to be heard. Elsewhere, the UK has signed mutual security agreements with Sweden and Finland, with Boris Johnsonpledging the nations would “come to each other’s assistance” should Russia attack.
US senators have voted 51-49 to reject Democrat-sponsored legislation enshrining abortion rights into federal law. The defeat of the Women’s Health Protection Act, introduced after a leaked supreme court draft ruling last week jeopardised almost half a century of constitutional abortion protections, was expected.
Australia
Woodside’s $12bn LNG development could spell disaster for hundreds of thousands of ancient petroglyphs, traditional owners in Australia’s remote north-west have warned. Many of the carvings are believed to date from 50,000 years ago.
Regional Australians have scoffed at government claims of “record levels of Medicare bulk billing”, with data suggesting real rates could be about 20% lower than that claimed by the prime minister, and significantly lower outside major capitals.
The Australian Electoral Commission has earned the ire of residents of the flood-ravaged NSW town of Lismore after locals discovered that only one prepolling site, with accessibility issues, is open for voting.
The world
A member of Russian dissident art group, Pussy Riot, has escaped from house arrest disguised as a food courier. Longtime Kremlin critic Lucy Shtein fled to Lithuania after receiving a year’s sentence of “restricted freedom” for supporting the opposition activist Alexei Navalny.
Planned fracking operations in the US could release 140bn metric tons of planet-heating gases, research suggests, placing the world on track for disastrous climate change.
Lufthansa has apologised for denying a large group of Orthodox Jewish passengers from flying after several passengers reportedly refused to wear masks.
Recommended reads
It’s been one of the Liberal party’s safest seats for more than 120 years. But the Melbourne suburb of Goldstein could be another victim of “teal turbulence” as small-l liberal voters abandon the party of Scott Morrison in favour of yet another high-profile independent, Benita Kolovos writes.
If you want living standards to rise, wages should rise faster than inflation. It’s an almost axiomatically commonsense position, Greg Jericho argues, except when Anthony Albanese calls for it – earning the anger of business groups and the tabloid media.
You loved her on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, but Karen from Finance continues to deliver – this week as the guest curator of our 10 funniest things on the internet. And it’s got fails, very passionately intense people, and an almost mandatory nod to Catherine Tate.
Listen
Vladimir Putin faces a dilemma. While many analysts expected the Russian president to deliver a bombastic Victory Day speech from Red Square, the almost sombre address that came instead could hint at potential de-escalation in Ukraine. Moscow correspondent Andrew Roth explains why.
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Sport
“In football, the dogs bark, and the caravan moves on.” That’s probably the hope Collingwood had regarding the criticisms of former player Héritier Lumumba, Jonathan Horn writes, but one that hadn’t counted on the determination of the man, and the lingering importance of his insights.
Brendon McCullum appears set to be appointed England’s next Test coach, with the New Zealand legend handing in his notice at IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders and reportedly telling close contacts he’s been offered the job.
Media roundup
Labor will win the federal election with an outright majority, the Australian claims, based on extensive polling from a sample size of nearly 20,000 voters. Inmates at Victoria’s maximum-security prison are given inadequate medical attention, a prison officer has told an inquest, the Age reports. And West Australians will receive hundreds off their electricity bills in a state budget pledge, writes the West Australian.
Coming up
The Insurance Council of Australia will hold a virtual town hall for people impacted by floods in northern NSW and Queensland. Bridget Archer and Ross Hart will go head to head in a debate in the Tasmanian marginal seat of Bass. Australian fashion week continues with runway shows from Adaptive Clothing Collective, One Mile the Label and Nicol & Ford. University of Sydney staff will strike over a new enterprise agreement.
And if you’ve read this far …
The global market for vegan pet food is approaching $10bn. Wwhile the idea of vegan dog food is met with caution by veterinary associations, for some like Father Terry Martin, making the shift to a plant-based diet has been an ethical relief.
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