Good morning. Today we reveal shocking new evidence of police failures prior to the death of Queensland toddler Mason Lee 10 years ago. Donald Trump has called for restraint after Israel again targeted Beirut in deadly airstrikes, with a ceasefire deal between the US and Iran looking shaky. We hear from farmers struggling to combat the mouse plague sweeping across Australia’s grain belt. And we have all the coverage of the Socceroos’ winning start to their World Cup campaign – and the rest of the tournament which is now in full swing.
Australia
Mouse plague | Communities across Western Australia and South Australia are living through a mouse explosion so severe it has shocked even seasoned farmers – and they’re now turning to stronger poisons to stem the losses.
Reality bites | Gen Xers in Australia are struggling with low wages growth, rising inequality and falling rates of home ownership. Many are feeling left behind – and are turning towards One Nation.
Ebike battles | Aggrieved pedestrians and push-bike riders in Queensland are now pitted against those who see e-mobility as a “once in a generation” chance to change how we travel around cities.
Explainer | A woman is in hospital in a critical condition after being bitten by a shark at Sydney’s Coogee beach, one of Australia’s most popular swimming spots. How did it happen and how can you stay safe?
Opinion | The bouncing ping-pong ball that is Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has been hiding in plain sight, and it’s important to understand why, Zoe Daniel writes.
World
Middle East crisis | Donald Trump has called for restraint after Israel launched fresh airstrikes on Beirut as mediators sought a preliminary peace deal between Iran and the US; Iranian hardliners are making a vociferous push to reject the proposed peace deal.
Russia-Ukraine war | Donald Trump reportedly told Vladimir Putin that he is prepared to help end war in Ukraine; British commandos have seized a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker.
Tectonic power | Experts say a powerful earthquake that killed at least 61 people in the Philippines last week raised the seabed by as much as 2 metres.
Social media ban | Under-16s in Britain could be banned from major social media apps in sweeping restrictions described as “Australia plus”.
Ebola outbreak | With 670 confirmed cases and 135 deaths, Ebola has yet to be contained in the DRC. Could this outbreak become the most deadly yet?
No cap | Voters in Switzerland appear to have rejected an unprecedented far-right proposal to cap the country’s population at 10 million.
World Cup
Socceroos win! | The next generation delivered one of Australia’s best World Cup victories, beating Turkey 2-0 in Vancouver. Socceroos’ goalkeeping hero Patrick Beach revels in World Cup win: “It was absolute limbs.” The young Socceroos offer the hope of an adventure like in 2006.
Match catch-up | World Cup debutants Curaçao fell 7-1 to Germany. The Netherlands are facing Japan.
Off the pitch | “Irankunda have my children”: Australian World Cup fans erupt as Socceroos defeat Turkey; Melbourne football lovers celebrate “the greatest day” after packing out Federation Square.
What to watch today | Mohamed Salah has the eyes of a nation on him as Egypt look to end 92-year wait; a bullish Spain squad is confident of repeating their Euros success.
Full Story
Is Australian music at risk of extinction? In the 1990s and early 2000s, a healthy number of Aussie artists were making it to the charts. Now, local musicians are struggling to get air time and to earn a living. Nour Haydar speaks with Steph Harmon and Josh Nicholas about why Australian music is disappearing from the charts and what needs to be done.
In-depth
New evidence uncovered by Guardian Australia reveals that Queensland police failed to act on repeated and serious warnings about a man who perpetrated one of Australia’s most horrific child abuse homicides. Mason Jet Lee was 22 months old when he was punched in the stomach by his stepfather in June 2016. He was given no medical care and died a slow and painful death several days later. Ten years on, the Guardian’s Broken trust investigation reveals new information that was withheld from the inquest into his death.
Not the news
In the latest of our Kindness of strangers series, we hear from a reader who found themselves stuck in a tiny village while hitchhiking across the Greek island of Crete. Like a mirage, a Greek woman delivered a freshly made feast – and a lesson that would last a lifetime.
Sport
Cricket | Adam Zampa edged Australia past Bangladesh to avoid an ODI whitewash.
AFL | St Kilda get full bang for their buck from Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera’s licence to attack, Jonathan Horn writes.
Motorsport | Lewis Hamilton earned a maiden F1 Ferrari win at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Basketball | “It’s euphoria”: New York City celebrated the Knicks’ NBA title victory after a 53-year wait.
Media roundup
Construction is set to begin soon on a giant steel monolith designed to record humanity’s path towards climate catastrophe, the Mercury reports. Labor is sending a delegation of top officials to Asia as it tries to head off a growing diplomatic crisis over its plans to hold back gas supplies, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. There are calls for reforms amid claims the public library system is “chronically underfunded” in Melbourne’s growth areas, ABC News reports.
What’s happening today
Victoria | A coronial hearing into the death of Stacey Warnecke, who died after a free birth at her home, is due to be held in Melbourne.
ACT | A public hearing is scheduled today in the Senate select committee on intergenerational housing inequity.
Sign up
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
