Morning Mail: Fatima Payman and the art of quitting, gas shortfall gets closer, UK exit poll tips Labour landslide
Good morning. It’s a momentous day in UK politics with parliament poised for a huge turnover after 14 years of Conservative rule. But it follows a momentous day in Australian politics – there is a feeling in Canberra, and no doubt a few other places, that Senator Fatima Payman has run rings around the Labor leadership as she first rebelled and then quit the party over its stance on Gaza. We report on the fallout and what it means for Labor.
We also have the second part of our investigation into home equity release schemes, and a “once-in-a-lifetime” astronomical event.
Australia
Guardian investigation | A family has been left “shattered” by a Homesafe contract on their mother’s home which means she will only receive about half the sale price, the latest part of our investigation reveals.
Payman’s price | After leading Labor’s leadership a merry dance over the past two weeks, Fatima Payman finally quit the party yesterday. Daniel Hurst and Sarah Basford-Canales unpick the sequence of events that led to her momentous move, which the party’s president, Wayne Swan, claims will “empower Labor’s opponents on the far right”. Our political editor, Karen Middleton, says the young senator has leveraged anger about Gaza to deliver a stinging rebuke to the party.
Gas shortfall | East coast gas shortfalls could emerge even earlier than was forecast six months ago, unless new sources of supply are made available, the competition watchdog has warned.
Road of ruin | Two fatal accidents in a week have reignited the debate about the state of the Bruce Highway, which runs the length of Queensland.
‘Once in a lifetime’ | Light from a thermonuclear explosion on a star has been travelling towards Earth for thousands of years and it will be visible over Australia any time between now and September.
World
‘Pile of crap’ | Donald Trump has called Joe Biden “a broken-down pile of crap” on the verge of “quitting the race” in a leaked video taken when he was riding in a golf cart with his son Barron. Biden earlier told a radio station he had “screwed up” in the presidential debate but he would fight on.
Britain decides | An exit poll suggests Labour is heading for a landslide victory after voting closed in the UK general election a few minutes ago. The first counts will be completed in just under two hours and you can find out what to watch out for as the results come in. We have some charts showing how 14 years of Tory rule has changed Britain.
France fears | The football superstar Kylian Mbappé has branded the first-round results of France’s snap parliamentary election “catastrophic”, urging voters to turn out in force and fend off the threat of a National Rally-controlled government when polls open for the runoff vote on Sunday.
‘Land grab’ | Israel has approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in more than three decades, according to a report released by an Israeli anti-settlement watchdog.
‘She is a fantasy of mine’ | The British TV star Holly Willoughby has said women should not feel “unsafe in their own homes” after a convicted violent offender was found guilty of masterminding a plot to kidnap, rape and murder her.
Full Story
Newsroom edition: does Fatima Payman’s exit mean Labor needs to change with the times?
Bridie Jabour talks to deputy editor Patrick Keneally and head of news Mike Ticher about Labor’s strict rules on party solidarity and whether Fatima Payman’s exit necessitates a rethink.
In-depth
Anticipation is growing about how Australia will travel in the Olympic pool, on the rowing course and on the track. But there’s one area where the green and gold is looking to join the world’s heavyweights: the skateboarding arena. Jack Snape catches up with reigning park skating champion Keegan Palmer to hear about how the fast-growing sport is making a new generation of stars.
Not the news
Louise Wolhuter’s second novel – Shadows of Winter Robins – is the story of a girl and her twin brother who are uprooted from their home in northern England when their mother dies and taken to outback Australia, where they meet a family full of interesting characters. Our reviewer Bec Kavanagh says “we learn of hidden relationships and alliances, family secrets and possible crimes” as layers of tantalising mystery come together.
The world of sport
Tennis | Alex de Minaur has disposed of a familiar opponent to rattle into the last 32 of Wimbledon in the sunshine, but the women’s No 1 Daria Saville crashed out despite having a match point.
Tour de France | Dylan Groenewegen of Team Jayco AlUla won stage six from Mâcon to Dijon after Mark Cavendish was blocked out in the final kilometre of the sprint on the Cours Général de Gaulle.
Rugby union | England’s captain, Jamie George, has vowed to take the game to New Zealand when the two sides meet in tomorrow’s first Test in Dunedin.
Media roundup
Fatima Payman’s split from Labor has hurt the party badly, the Age says in an anlaysis piece, and “she isn’t done yet”. Renewed calls for a crocodile cull have followed the discovery of the remains of a 12-year-old girl who disappeared when swimming in a remote creek, the NT News reports. “Green lawfare” has suffered a defeat, the Australian claims, after activists in the Santos gas pipeline case were ordered to hand over documents. Sydney University bosses are at loggerheads with protesters about new rules for the campus, the Telegraph reports.
What’s happening today
Hobart | A Tasmanian supreme court judge will appear in court accused of assault and emotional intimidation.
Queensland | The LNP convention begins in Brisbane, with Peter Dutton and David Littleproud attending.
NSW | The inquest into death of Pippa Mae White from sepsis continues.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
