Morning Mail: El Niño warning, Gloria Steinem dies, bond market jitters, and more

Morning everyone. This summer’s El Niño weather pattern could be the worst ever, the BoM has warned, with warnings from the UN that “the planet is in uncharted waters, and those waters are heating up”.

Two cousins have been thwarted in their first attempts to find their missing Australian relatives in Nepal, the bond market gyrations are causing jitters around the world, Gloria Steinem has died aged 92, and is Margaret Preston Australia’s most contested artist?

Australia

Eureka moment | An associate professor in forensic psychology at the University of Sydney has won the prestigious Eureka science prize for her work in advancing how police and courts understand victim-survivor testimony in domestic violence cases.

El Niño threat | The growing El Niño weather phenomenon to Australia’s east is already breaking heat records, with forecasts showing it will likely easily surpass previous events, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, as separate research suggested climate change had greatly shortened the odds of the event hitting record extremes.

‘Broke our hearts’ | A UK-Australian couple have told of their heartache, trauma and stress after fighting in the Italian courts for two years for their right to parent their children as they choose.

‘There was no road’ | Two cousins who flew to Nepal to search for their Australian relatives missing in the country’s disastrous floods have been forced to wait for the army to restore access to the remote area after finding their way blocked by debris. Cait Kelly reports.

Tobacco warning | Leading public health experts, the Australian Medical Association and Labor have rejected Angus Taylor’s plan to cut tobacco excise by 80%, labelling the move to curb soaring illegal cigarette sales as a backward step on tobacco control.

World

‘Architect of equality’ | Hillary Clinton has led the tributes to Gloria Steinem, the American feminist and journalist who has died aged 92. Her activism helped push through greater rights for women and she was known for going undercover to expose the treatment of Playboy Bunnies. Here are some of her more memorable quotes and her life in pictures. Her memoir, due to be published this month, now stands as a posthumous testament to her life, writes Emma Brockes.

Iran resistance | Iran has continued to demonstrate an ability to target bases in the Gulf used by the US despite six months of war and a new sanctions regime described by the Trump administration as an “economic D-day”.

Crypto donor | Reform UK has been given a further £4m by the British crypto billionaire Ben Delo, with the party saying it is confident the businessman – who was formerly based in Hong Kong – will not be caught by the new overseas donor cap.

‘We suffer’ | Victims of the apartheid-era Sharpeville massacre are demanding compensation 66 years on from the attack on hundreds of protesters in South Africa.

Full Story

Alan Jones on trial: Radio rivalry and rabbit holes

Nour Haydar and Amanda Meade talk through week five of the trial of Alan Jones in which his power struggle with 2GB rival Ray Hadley was laid bare.

In-depth

Why is everyone talking about the bond markets and what does it mean for you? Patrick Commins explains. Market action overnight saw the Japanese yen soar by more than 2% against the US dollar after speculation the Bank of Japan is set to raise interest rates amid global bond market jitters.

Not the news

Is Margaret Preston Australia’s most beloved and contested artist, asks our main feature today. And as the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia stages the first Preston retrospective in 20 years, you have the chance to judge for yourself.

Sport

AFL | Hawthorn stunned Fremantle and a record Perth crowd with a qualifying final win at the Optus Stadium last night as the minor premiers were humbled on their own turf for the first time this season.

Tennis | Alex de Minaur, Naomi Osaka and Iga Świątek are all appearing today at Flushing Meadows. Follow the action live.

Football | The former Premier League referee Mike Dean claims he used to take part in secret challenges while officiating, including trying to stay in the centre circle for as long as possible.

Media roundup

Passengers on an international flight bound for Sydney detained a fellow flyer who was allegedly behaving aggressively, the Telegraph claims. Monash University has been condemned after students were asked to ponder whether Julia Gillard was “just another hysterical woman” when she gave her landmark misogyny speech, the Herald Sun reports. After 20 rounds of IVF and with sperm frozen 17 years ago, a Geelong couple are celebrating the birth of a baby boy, the Advertiser reports.

What’s happening today

Foreign policy | Pacific Island Forum concludes in Palau.

Health | Ministers to meet in Sydney over aged care bed shortage.

New South Wales | Directions at supreme court at 2pm in class action against Liberal party over botched council elections.

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Brain teaser

And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.

Quick crossword

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