Good morning. More than 100 people have been killed by a powerful 7.4 magnitude quake in western Colombia that caused dozens of buildings to collapse in several major cities.
Back home, bereaved family members want the government to announce a public health emergency over one of the biggest killers of young people in Australia: sudden cardiac arrests.
Car owners are being told to challenge soaring insurance premiums. And we look at a manic new video game voiced by Aunty Donna’s Broden Kelly that’s taking Aussie rules football to the world.
Australia
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Bird flu response | Now that the “fairytale belief” that H5 bird flu would not reach Australia has been shattered, South Australian birders are playing a vital role – binoculars in hand – as lookouts for the state’s response.
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‘Call their bluff’ | Car owners should challenge motor insurers over premium hikes, the corporate regulator Asic advises, as many companies raise prices faster than inflation.
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Analysis | It may not feel like a silver lining, but falling house prices are actually a good thing for mortgage holders, Patrick Commins argues.
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ACTU leadership | Melissa Donnelly, the national secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union, will be the next head of the trade union movement in Australia.
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‘Unacceptable’ | The transport minister, Catherine King, says improved staff rostering will soon be in place at Sydney airport after a near-miss collision that resulted in two workers being stood down.
World
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Colombia quake | More than 100 people have died after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia, collapsing and severely damaging buildings in major cities including Cali and Pereira.
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Russia-Ukraine war | A Ukrainian drone strike on an industrial city deep inside Russia has killed at least 13 people, as Kyiv steps up its campaign of long-range strikes; US intelligence reportedly believes Russia was behind the Leipzig airport drone bomb.
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Typhoon Dolphin | More than a million people were moved to safety across eastern China as a powerful storm made landfall, amid fears torrential rain would cause flooding and landslides.
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Middle East crisis | Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of a US-led peace plan for Gaza is a risky gamble when Israel is internationally isolated and needs US support, Emma Graham-Harrison writes.
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‘Some contractor error’ | Donald Trump concedes renovations to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool were rushed and shoddy – but insists vandals were to blame for damage to the DC landmark.
Full Story
Can Gianni Infantino survive as Fifa president?
Just a few weeks ago, the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, was riding high after a successful World Cup. Now he’s on the brink of losing his job. Infantino has apologised for his controversial plan to sell off the World Cup, but it’s done nothing to dampen calls for his resignation. Reged Ahmad speaks with Jack Snape about whether this is the final whistle for Infantino.
In-depth
One person under 35 experiences a sudden cardiac arrest every day in Australia, and studies put the fatality rate at 90% – making it one of the biggest killers of young people. However, there are no widespread public awareness campaigns. And there’s no national registry, making it difficult to track at-risk people. Survivors and bereaved family members are urging the government to declare the issue a public health emergency.
Not the news
Try explaining AFL to anyone outside Australia and “it sounds like you’re making it up”, says David Ashby, the comedic mind behind spoofs such as Italian Spider-Man and Danger 5. Then, at a fantasy footy barbecue, he had a brainwave: why not make a video game where Australia’s strange national sport becomes even stranger the more you play? Fast forward two years and Pro Jank Footy is about to launch on an unsuspecting world.
Sport
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Netball | Super Netball is heading towards a David v Goliath legal wrangle over the proposed name of its new Sydney team, Jack Snape writes.
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Football | Uefa, Concacaf and AFC are pushing for Gianni Infantino to quit as Fifa president with a damning open letter; are Manchester United returning to relevance under Michael Carrick, Jonathan Wilson asks? Somali referee Omar Artan is grateful for a Super Cup chance after a “tough” World Cup exclusion.
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Cycling | The Tour de France Femmes stepped out of Tadej Pogacar’s shadow to showcase truly compelling racing, Jeremy Whittle writes.
Media roundup
Sydney is forging ahead with a $150m proposal for a civic square project despite a backlash over its cost and scale, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Victorians could pay up to 11 times more than other international host cities to bring the NFL’s American football spectacle to Melbourne, the Age reports. A trial of live AI facial recognition technology by Western Australian police is facing renewed criticism from privacy experts and First Nations advocates, ABC News reports.
What’s happening today
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ACT | Federal parliament returns after the winter break.
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VIC | Victoria’s parliament is sitting for the first time with Ben Carroll as premier.
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NSW | Hearings in the independent public inquiry into the Aukus security partnership are being held in Newcastle.
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NSW | The trial of former broadcaster Alan Jones on historical charges of alleged indecent assaults is continuing in Sydney.
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RBA | The Reserve Bank of Australia is due to announce its latest interest rates decision this afternoon.
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Brain teaser
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