Morning everyone. Iranian attacks on shipping in the strait of Hormuz have ratcheted up the stakes in the Middle East conflict and prompted a massive release of oil reserves. And a preliminary investigation has reportedly determined that the US was responsible for a deadly February strike on an Iranian school that killed scores of children.
At home, the royal commission into antisemitism and the Bondi attack has suffered a blow after former spy chief Dennis Richardson quit the inquiry two weeks after it started. Plus how government subsidies are encouraging fossil fuel use, an exclusive on senators calling for an inquiry into “overt” racism in parliament, and the forgotten “genius” of Australian art.
Australia
Richardson quits | The former spy chief Dennis Richardson has resigned from the royal commission into antisemitism and the Bondi terror attack, just a fortnight after its opening hearing.
Burning question | Federal and state government subsidies that encourage fossil fuel use and help drive the climate crisis will reach $16.3bn this year after leaping by nearly 10%, according to a new analysis.
Exclusive | Increasingly ugly abuse in federal parliament has prompted a group of independents and the Greens to call for an urgent intervention from Labor to change the rules, warning that allowing racism and bigotry to “fester” is corroding democracy.
Snap shut | An Australian mother who reported her 14-year-old’s Snapchat account said the social media company did not take any action to close it down because his self-declared age was 25.
‘Massive letdown’ | A report into the unlawful robodebt scheme found two senior public servants engaged in corrupt conduct but did not refer them for charges, leaving victims furious and feeling a “massive letdown”.
World
Energy boost | The International Energy Agency has ordered the largest release of government oil reserves in its history to help calm the oil price shock triggered by the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. The situation worsened overnight when Iran attacked three ships in the strait of Hormuz and reportedly began laying mines in the critical seaway. Tehran’s ambassador to Cyprus has confirmed Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured in the 28 February attack that killed six of his family members, including his father. A preliminary US military inquiry has reportedly found that the Minab school bombing that killed at least 175 people, most of them children, was due to a targeting mistake by US military planners. Thousands of people have left Dubai since the conflict began in a huge blow to the region’s economy, while animal charities say thousands of pets are being abandoned as their owners flee. Follow developments live.
Football | Iran has pulled out of this year’s World Cup in protest against the US assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s sports minister said overnight, throwing the tournament into crisis three months from kick off.
Nigeria raids | At least 65 Nigerian soldiers have been killed in jihadist raids across the country’s north-east in the past two weeks as the west African state battles to contain one of the world’s deadliest terror groups.
Seat flipped | A Democrat has won a special election for a state house seat in New Hampshire, flipping a Republican district that Donald Trump carried and marking the latest in a string of 28 Democratic upsets.
Sacking bonus | Peter Mandelson was offered a severance payment of £75,000 ($140,000) after initially asking the UK government to pay him more than £500,000 upon his sacking as US ambassador over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, newly released documents reveal.
Full Story
‘More Australian babies!’ where will Matt Canavan take the Nationals now?
Senior political correspondent Dan Jervis-Bardy speaks to Nour Haydar about how the Queenslander won the vote and whether this now means he will pull the Nationals, and the Coalition, further to the right. We also have a separate profile piece from Dan on the man who must now do battle with his former mentor Barnaby Joyce as the Nationals seek to take down One Nation.
In-depth
Tooba Sarwari, an Afghanistan-born cricketer, left everything behind when she fled to Australia on a humanitarian visa in 2021 amid the fall of Kabul. She tells Adeshola Ore how the Iranian footballers who sought refuge in Australia will face huge challenges but that “everything takes time”.
Not the news
Harold “the Kangaroo” Thornton, eccentric artist and self-styled genius, would have loved it if he knew that 22 years after his death he was being talked of as something of a lost master who deserves a gallery devoted to his work. Joseph Earp paints a picture of a fascinating life.
Sport
Asian Cup | The Matildas will have to beware of North Korea’s penchant for mind games and gamesmanship when they meet in the quarter-finals tomorrow.
Rugby | After the switch by Zac Lomax, we weigh up the best code breakers such as Madison Ashby, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Charlotte Caslick and Stacey Waaka.
Football | Manchester City take on Real Madrid, Chelsea have a World Club Cup final rematch with PSG, and Bayer Leverkusen are entertaining Arsenal in this morning’s Champions League last 16 matches.
Media roundup
Big events on Victoria’s multicultural calendar have been accused of becoming partisan promotions, the Age claims, with the premier’s private office vetting invitation lists and speakers at publicly funded dinners. The sports broadcaster Mel McLaughlin has revealed she has cancer, the Telegraph reports. Regional diesel supplies have run dry due to panic buying in city areas, according to WAtoday. Daintree residents stranded by floods have had emergency fuel supplies airlifted in along with special mail deliveries, the Cairns Post reports.
What’s happening today
Canberra | Federal parliament is sitting.
NSW | State budget estimates continue.
Canberra | Public hearing on the triple-zero service outage.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
