Good morning. We lead today with fresh revelations about how the government was left with tens of millions of unusable face masks during the Covid pandemic after paying an obscure company $100m to provide them. Documents obtained by the Guardian show exchanges between the health department and the company – and reveal the latter was aware of Australian Business Mobiles’ lack of experience in importing PPE before the deal was signed.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the asbestos crisis the NSW government is going to double penalties for serious environmental crimes and give new powers to the Environment Protection Authority.
Elsewhere, the US House of Representatives has voted to force TikTok’s owner to sell the platform or face a total ban.
Australia
New South Wales | Penalties for the worst environmental crimes could be doubled as part of sweeping changes to protection laws being proposed by the Minns government.
Exclusive | The federal government knew an obscure online retailer had no experience importing PPE prior to handing it $100m and receiving 46m unusable masks at a critical point during the pandemic, documents show.
‘I was bullied’ | Of the 2,570 female patients who responded to a National Women’s Health Advisory Council survey, two-thirds reported gender bias or discrimination in Australian healthcare.
Jim Chalmers | Australia remains “on track” for a second straight surplus but a recent slide in iron ore prices and an uptick in the rate of joblessness mean the budget will report a smaller revenue upgrade than previous years.
Diplomacy | China’s foreign minister will visit Australia for the first time in seven years, with next week’s trip locked in just hours after Beijing offered a reprieve on tariffs to Australian winemakers.
World
Donald Trump | The Georgia judge overseeing the election-interference case against the ex-US president and other defendants dismissed six of the charges in the wide-ranging indictment.
Gaza crisis | After the EU foreign policy chief said starvation was being used as a weapon of war, a ship carrying aid is expected to soon reach the shoreline of Gaza – about 48 hours after it left Cyprus.
Social media | The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that would require the China-based TikTok owner ByteDance to sell the platform or face a total ban in the United States.
Leonid Volkov | Lithuania has blamed Moscow for the bloody hammer attack on a longtime aide to the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny outside his home in Vilnius.
Jimmy Lai trial | A key prosecution witness took the stand in a Hong Kong court – giving evidence that the UN’s special rapporteur has warned could be tainted because of allegations of torture.
Full Story
The presidential rematch no one wants
The US presidential election will be a rematch between two well known, yet deeply unpopular candidates. Joe Biden has won the Democratic nomination but the 81-year-old is the oldest president to ever seek re-election. And his opponent, Republican Donald Trump, is running an increasingly aggressive and angry campaign. Lauren Gambino tells Nour Haydar how American voters are feeling about the choice that lies ahead.
In-depth
SUVs have soared in popularity in Australia, prompting environmental and safety concerns. In an Australian-first motion, the Yarra city council has unanimously voted to investigate the potential of clamping down on large vehicles by raising parking fees. The council could follow Paris, after the French capital voted to triple parking costs for SUVs in February. So, what are they doing and how would it work?
Not the news
The debut feature from Adelaide film-makers Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen is thrillingly bold and inventive despite its familiar horror tropes: a darkened hallway, flashes of lightning, creaking walls and floorboards, the howling of wind. Luke Buckmaster says You’ll Never Find Me steeps you in a kind of waking nightmare – with a shockingly brilliant final act you may not be able to forget.
The world of sport
Surfing | Australian-born surfer Connor O’Leary has been selected by Japan to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics after switching his allegiance last year.
Football | Borussia Dortmund take on PSV and Atlético Madrid face Inter Milan in the Champions League; Jürgen Klopp insists there will be no U-turn on his departure from Liverpool.
Golf | Rory McIlroy has urged golf’s decision-makers to bring the peace deal between existing tours and Saudi Arabia’s PIF to fruition.
Media roundup
Victoria’s transport department is considering ditching longstanding minimum car park requirements in areas with good public transport in attempt to cut construction costs and reduce traffic congestion, reports the Age. The NSW premier, Chris Minns, is demanding a full explanation from the prime minister about why the country’s largest state was punished in the latest GST carve-up, says the Sydney Morning Herald. The federal government is providing up to $840m to help establish an “Australia-first” combined rare earths mine and refinery north of Alice Springs, according to NT News.
What’s happening today
New South Wales | The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is set to speak at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia lunch event in Sydney.
Victoria | The state’s premier, Jacinta Allan, is scheduled to make a “state of the state” address at an event in Melbourne.
National Archives | Previously secret cabinet documents on Australia’s involvement in the Iraq war are expected to be released.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
