Morning everyone. Cyclone Ilsa is smashing north-west Western Australia after setting a new record for sustained wind speed on our continent. Meanwhile, Peter Dutton has claimed that his decision to oppose the voice referendum formed after talking to Indigenous elders “on the ground” in Leonora and elsewhere. But locals told Guardian Australia he mostly talked about other issues.
And overseas, a 21-year-old man has been arrested and accused of leaking highly sensitive Pentagon documents to an online chat group that dubbed itself Thug Shaker Central.
Australia
Ilsa lands | Cyclone Ilsa made landfall on the coast of north-west Western Australia a few hours ago, shortly after midnight local time, after setting a new sustained wind speed record for Australia of 218km/h, the Bureau of Meteorology said. Residents were told to shelter in place and warned that the storm could cause widespread damage.
Voicing criticism | Peter Dutton has been accused of misrepresenting his visit to the Western Australian town of Leonora. Local residents claim he was more interested in their views on the cashless debit card, than canvassing their opinion on the Indigenous voice to parliament. He was also accused earlier of a “dog act” and using child abuse claims in Alice Springs for political gain. A leading constitutional expert, meanwhile, has reiterated to a parliamentary inquiry that the voice won’t slow down government decision-making or clog up the courts.
‘Dereliction of duty’ | A refusal by the Reserve Bank to accept the role of excess profits in driving inflation amounts to a “dereliction of duty”, according to a paper by the Australia Institute, which says that monetary policymakers are wrongly trying to blame rising prices on a “nonexistent” wages breakout.
Defamation danger | The video of Brittany Higgins’ and Grace Tame’s full National Press Club address on the treatment of women has been removed from YouTube after defamation proceedings were lodged against the ABC.
Migration muddle | Migration and legal experts have warned the true number of visa decisions affected by invalid refusals of ministerial intervention is likely to be in the tens of thousands, after the high court rejected bureaucrats’ ability to block applications.
World
Leaker exposed | A 21-year-old US air national guardsman has been arrested in Massachusetts after being unmasked as the man behind the leaking of highly classified defence documents. Jack Teixeira allegedly led Thug Shaker Central, an online group where about 20 to 30 people shared their love of guns, racist memes and video games. We also look at how much damage the leaks might cause.
‘All for climate change’ | The boss of German media giant Axel Springer told editors at his flagship tabloid, Bild, that he was “all for climate change”, among other views attacking Covid measures and the former chancellor Angela Merkel, leaked messages suggest.
DeSantis plea | Ron DeSantis’s putative presidential campaign is in trouble again after a report emerged claiming Florida’s Republican governor was calling members of the state’s congressional delegation to persuade them to stop endorsing Donald Trump.
‘Outstanding innovator’ | Mary Quant, the British designer responsible for popularising the miniskirt, has died aged 93. Her family paid tribute to her as an “outstanding innovator” of the swinging 60s.
‘I have much to do’ | Rupert Murdoch divorced his fourth wife, Jerry Hall, by email, reportedly telling her “we have certainly had some good times, but I have much to do”. The revelation comes in a Vanity Fair article that paints a bleak picture of his family life.
Full Story
Yes or no: party politics on the road to the voice
What do divisions in the Liberal party mean for the shape of the no campaign, and how does this impact the way forward for a successful yes vote? Lenore Taylor and Indigenous affairs editor Lorena Allam discuss how both sides are lining up on the road to the referendum.
In-depth
In this compelling appreciation of the late John Olsen, Monash University professor Rex Butler agrees with the consensus view that say that his death marks the end of a white European depiction of the Australian landscape. But, Prof Butler notes, “important art – maybe even great art – like Olsen’s, tells us a lot about who we have been, who we are and maybe who we might be, if looked at closely enough. This is Olsen’s great bequest to this country”.
Not the news
This week marks another when there are no Australian artists in the Arias Top 20 singles chart – a sad state of affairs blamed on the power of social media platforms such as TikTok. As it becomes harder for Australian artists such as Kota Banks to find an audience, Ben Eltham asks whether the local industry is facing an existential threat.
The world of sport
Tennis | The WTA is to host tournaments in China once more after ending its boycott over concerns about the safety of the Chinese player Peng Shuai.
Basketball | Josh Giddey matched a career-high 31 points to go with 10 assists and nine rebounds as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 123-118 to keep their hopes alive of making the playoffs.
Football | Manchester United faced Sevilla in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final this morning.
Media roundup
The Northwest Telegraph has been hearing from anxious residents in Western Australia’s top corner as they prepare for the impact of Cyclone Ilsa today. The Age has an exclusive saying that AFL legend Eddie Betts is backing the Indigenous voice campaign, while the Advertiser is celebrating a good win for the Crows to start the beginning of the AFL’s Gather Round in South Australia.
What’s happening today
Courts| Directions in case against psychiatrist Patrick Toohey by man who had gender reassignment surgery and now wants to be a woman again.
Sydney | Supreme court bail hearing for former NRL player Jarryd Hayne ahead of sentencing.
Brisbane | The three-day International Cake Show featuring the world’s leading edible cake artists and decorators starts in Bowen Hills.
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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.
