Good afternoon. Pressure is growing for Australia to recognise a Palestinian state, after Canada announced it would join key allies France and the UK to formally recognise Palestine at the next UN general assembly meeting in September.
The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, told reporters that the planned move was predicated on the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to reforms, including fundamentally reforming its governance and holding general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part. Carney also said Hamas must release all hostages. The UK’s announcement was also conditional, with Keir Starmer saying recognition would occur by September unless Israel held to a ceasefire, calling for the nation to commit to a two-state solution.
Jim Chalmers said he won’t put a timeframe on Australian recognition of Palestine but said it’s “a matter of when, not if” it happens, while the Greens called for recognition as soon as possible. The Liberal senator James Paterson said Australia should not follow other countries based on an “artificial measure of momentum”.
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In video
A newly discovered stick insect which weighs slightly less than a golf ball may be the heaviest insect in Australia, scientists say. The new species, named Acrophylla alta, was found in the high altitudes of the Atherton tablelands in north Queensland – and scientists said the habitat could be part of the reason for its large size.
What they said …
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“These are not just statistics. They are sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, cousins, siblings, grandchildren – lost to a system that continues to harm our people.” – Lidia Thorpe
The Victorian independent senator condemned the “shameful” number of Indigenous deaths in custody, including 17 this year, as the latest figures show just four of 19 Closing the Gap targets are on track to be met. Thorpe moved a condolence motion in the Senate, supported by Labor and the Greens, extending sympathies to the families of the 17 First Nations people who have died in custody this year and urging all parliamentarians to prevent further deaths in custody.
Podcast
Guardian Essential report: Albanese starts second term with solid approval, but Trump presidency looms – Australian Politics podcast
As Anthony Albanese readies his second‑term reform agenda, Guardian Australia’s Josh Butler speaks with Essential Media’s Peter Lewis about the elephant in the room: Australia’s dependence on the US and how its high‑stakes defence gambles could shape both his leadership and the nation’s strategic future.
Listen to the episode here
Before bed read
Cloudbreak, near the island of Tavarua in western Fiji, is one of the best waves in the world. For decades, the long, hollow left-hand reef break has drawn surfers from around the globe; but until 2010, local surfers were forbidden from surfing the wave due to an exclusivity deal with a nearby surf resort. A decade and a half since Fiji’s cabinet made all surfing areas open to the public, 16-year-old James Kusitino has just become Fiji’s first professional surfer.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: IFF. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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