Andy Burnham poised for No 10, support for multiculturalism falls, Messi sets a record

Morning everyone. Andy Burnham is Britain’s prime minister in waiting after Keir Starmer announced his resignation. He will be the country’s seventh prime minister in 10 years. We have full reports and analysis, including the intriguing question: is the UK ungovernable?

Australia’s belief in multiculturalism is fading, a major survey says, while spy chiefs warn AI systems will soon be capable of taking down governments. A former AFL footballer writes about his encounter with the manosphere, and Lionel Messi has become the World Cup’s record goalscorer.

Australia

Flu fears | The discovery of brown skuas and giant petrels infected with bird flu in Western Australia’s south coast has left experts fearing a wave of infections that could devastate birdlife.

Social change | Australia is undergoing a historic decline in support for multiculturalism, according to the Lowy Institute’s annual poll, amid mounting economic pessimism and an increasingly illiberal and chaotic world order.

Eyes on it | Powerful AI models capable of taking down governments and businesses are mere months away, cyber intelligence agencies for the Five Eyes have warned in a rare joint statement.

‘Troubled kid’ | A teenager accused of preparing a nailbombing campaign was either a “troubled kid” who made edgy jokes or a determined terrorist in waiting, a Brisbane court has been told.

‘Whyalla wipeout’ | After the summer algal bloom, divers off the Cuttlefish Coast in South Australia have observed a huge drop in the number of cephalopods.

World

Starmer goes | Keir Starmer has said he will stand down and will probably be succeeded in 10 Downing Street by Andy Burnham – possibly by the middle of next month. The former Manchester mayor was sworn in as an MP overnight after his victory in the Makerfield byelection. Britain will soon have its seventh PM in 10 years but is it ungovernable? Jonathan Freedland assesses where it all went wrong for Starmer but at least he can say he looked good in a cagoule.

European heatwave | Western Europe is enduring a ferocious heatwave forecast to break temperature records, with a UK health agency issuing a rare warning, half of France on red alert, rail services in Belgium disrupted and sports events in Spain and Germany cancelled or postponed.

Iran agreement | Iran has agreed to allow UN nuclear inspectors back into the country, Washington will lift sanctions on Tehran’s oil exports and the strait of Hormuz will reopen, the US vice-president says.

Crimea crunch | Ukraine has stepped up its strikes on Crimea as part of a strategy to isolate the occupied peninsula from mainland Russia.

Unhappy camper | An American holidaymaker had to be rescued from a California campground’s vault toilet after falling in trying to retrieve sunglasses he dropped.

World Cup

Socceroos latest | Jack Snape takes us inside the Socceroos’ hotel in California with its table tennis and swimming pool, and an interesting menu.

Match catch-up | Lionel Messi has become the leading scorer in World Cup history after a double against Austria this morning. There have been a lot of red cards this tournament so here’s a history of dismissals.

Off the pitch | Have you been wondering where Cape Verde is and what it’s all about? Check out our explainer on the tournament’s surprise package, although overall African teams have been hit and miss.

What to watch today | France are playing against Graham Arnold’s Iraq followed by Norway and Senegal at 10am, then Algeria v Jordan round off the day’s play.

Full Story

‘The King of the North’: who is the man tipped to be the next British PM?

Reged Ahmad speaks to the North of England editor, Josh Halliday, about Andy Burnham, the man expected to become the next British prime minister. He says this next week could define UK politics for years to come.

In-depth

Brendon Donohue, who was trapped in his second-storey Brisbane apartment during the city’s floods in 2022, is one of 10 Australians pursuing legal action against the federal government for failing to do enough to prevent climate change. Adam Morton explains.

Not the news

Mitch Brown, a former West Coast AFL footballer, writes about how he came close to becoming engulfed by the manosphere after his marriage breakup.

Sport

Tennis | The 2023 Wimbledon singles champion Marketa Vondrousova has been suspended from tennis for four years for refusing an anti-doping test.

Golf | Wyndham Clark played brilliantly to win his second US Open but the New York crowd turned their backs on him.

Cricket | England’s Ben Stokes saga has exposed a serious problem for the team.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that falling house prices could slice $100,000 from the value of homes. Noosa council has lined up 10 expert witnesses to fight businesswoman Jayne Hrdlicka’s designer mansion on a plot she bought for $16.9m, the Courier Mail reports. Police have destroyed 35 ebikes seized in Tweed Heads, the Telegraph says.

What’s happening today

Victoria | Directions hearing at county court for a childcare worker accused of abusing children.

State politics | Budget day in Queensland and New South Wales.

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