Morning everyone. Australia and other US intelligence allies should be “very worried” about the Trump administration’s response to the leak of secret military planning, according to Canada’s former spy chief. We have the latest from Washington on the Signal fiasco – including the publication of fresh details of this shocking security breach.
After voting against Labor’s surprise budget tax cuts, the Coalition has proposed its own cost-of-living measure, a temporary cut to the fuel excise. Plus we look at whether Trump is going to make us pay more for our medicines and which supermarkets are cheapest.
Australia
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Price check | The cost of groceries at Woolworths has gone up even when factoring in specials, while prices at Coles decreased and Aldi’s remained relatively stable, according to Choice’s latest supermarket price tracker.
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Budget battle | Peter Dutton is expected to try to outflank Anthony Albanese on cost-of-living relief after voting against Labor’s income tax cuts as the opposition leader prepares a “very significant announcement” in today’s budget reply speech. Overnight, he announced that a Coalition government would halve the fuel excise for 12 months. We also look at areas of federal spending that were overlooked in the budget. And the latest of our Anywhere but Canberra series features a Port Macquarie small businessman.
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‘State failure’ | Aboriginal women are scared to seek help to escape from or prevent domestic violence because of fear their children will be taken away from them, according to a report by Human Rights Watch, which calls the situation a “state failure”.
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Security questions | The scandal over Trump administration officials using the Signal app for a highly sensitive security discussion has raised questions about the broader use of encrypted apps by politicians and public servants in Australia.
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Endangered species | Controversial legislation to protect the Tasmanian salmon industry has passed parliament after the government guillotined debate to bring on a vote in the Senate last night.
World
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Signal failure | Canada’s former spy chief has said the Trump administration’s attempts to downplay the leak of top-secret attack plans is a “very worrying” development and has implications for broader intelligence sharing among US allies such as Australia. The Atlantic has published more messages from the leaked group chat, including details of US attacks and drone launches. Two people on the chat – the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, and the CIA director, John Ratcliffe (pictured) – faced questions from the Democrats at a House hearing today, while Democrats called for the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, to resign. Follow the developments from Washington DC live.
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UK welfare axe | More than 3 million families will lose out as a result of the government’s sweeping cuts to welfare, according to the official government analysis, with families losing an average of £1,720 a year.
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Bolsonaro trial | Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro will stand trial for allegedly orchestrating a violent plot to seize power through a military coup, after the country’s supreme court decided he should face criminal prosecution.
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Disaster planning | Ukraine’s president has accused Russia of being insincere about making peace as he reported an attack by 117 drones. People in the EU are being advised to stockpile enough food, water and essentials for 72 hours to improve disaster readiness.
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Survival story | A pilot and his two young daughters survived in freezing temperatures on the wing of a plane for about 12 hours after it crashed in an icy Alaska lake.
Full Story
Could Trump force us to pay more for our medicines?
With big pharma eyeing Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, senior reporter Tory Shepherd speaks to Reged Ahmad about the politics of our affordable medicines.
Could Trump force us to pay more for medicines?
In-depth
In an exclusive interview, the Palestinian film-maker Hamdan Ballal, one of the four directors of No Other Land, which documented the destruction of villages in the West Bank and won best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards, has recounted that two Israeli soldiers helped settlers beat him up in his home village. He says: “In that moment, I thought I was going to die.”
Not the news
Next week sees the end of Ramadan and the Eid festival so we asked five Australian chefs to suggest a favourite dish to cook for the celebrations. From wara’a eneb (vine leaves filled with rice and lamb) to Khubz harra (chilli bread) and ma’amoul (semolina cookies filled with dates), they have come up with some mouth-watering ideas.
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Sport
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Cricket | The World Cricketers’ Association has called for reform of the global calendar and of the International Cricket Council, the world game’s governing body, describing the current schedule as “chaotic and confusing”.
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Rugby league | Australia will tour England in the Rugby League Ashes for the first time since 2003 this autumn, with Everton’s new stadium in Liverpool’s docks area to stage one of the three Tests.
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Brisbane Olympics | The infrastructure authority for the 2032 Games is pushing the Queensland government to consider special planning laws to fast-track the approval and construction of controversial new venues.
Media roundup
Peter Dutton says the Coalition will cut 40,000 public service jobs if it gets into power according to the Age, while the Australian says the cost of Brisbane’s Olympic stadium could blow out to $5bn. The Sydney Morning Herald reveals the most improved schools in New South Wales by HSC results. The Adelaide Advertiser breaks down the controversy around the $7.6m panda payment.
What’s happening today
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Politics | Peter Dutton’s budget in reply speech at 7.30pm.
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Tasmania | Aboriginal community welcomes return of ancestral remains from Scotland at Hobart airport.
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Sydney | Possible ruling on costs in Alexander Greenwich’s defamation case against Mark Latham.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.