One Nation's finances questioned, US-Iran tensions rise, World Cup looms

Morning everyone. Our top story today focuses on One Nation – we look at the party’s recent financial reports and find they raise questions about its fitness to govern.

More US strikes on Iran appear to be imminent after Donald Trump accused Iran of playing the US “for suckers”, thousands of Australian women face uncertainty about obtaining vital breast cancer and endometriosis medicine and, with less than a day before the starting whistle in the World Cup, our writers have a stab at picking the winner.

Australia

Spying U-turn | Labor has quietly backed down on moves to make spy agency Asio’s powers for compulsory questioning permanent, but will expand offences covered by the rules to include promotion of communal violence and attacks on Australia’s defence system.

Revealed | One Nation’s financial returns, obtained by Guardian Australia, are “sloppy and unprofessional” according to an accounting expert, and raise questions about the party’s fitness to govern. In more than six years of filed financial reports, the party reported more than $1m in missing and worthless assets. It has not filed annual returns since 2022.

Zoladex questions | Thousands of women could be left without vital breast cancer and endometriosis medicine when AstraZeneca removes its treatment from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the private market, experts warn.

Climate check | There was some good news on climate this week when scientists rowed back on their very worst scenario for global heating. In his Temperature Check column, Graham Readfearn looks at how the issue was reported and mischaracterised in News Corp articles. (The latest temperatures from Antarctica tell a less reassuring story).

Contract clash | Australia’s leading constitutional expert says One Nation senator Tyron Whitten could be in breach of section 44 of the constitution over a family company that has contracts to help build Snowy Hydro.

World

‘Playing us for suckers’ | Donald Trump has said the US will attack Iran today and accused Tehran’s peace negotiators of “playing us for suckers”. It comes a day after he again claimed that a peace deal was imminent and shows he has been singularly unable to bend the reality to his narrative, our correspondent writes. Follow developments live.

Belfast unrest | The family of the victim of the Belfast knife attack has called for calm after riots erupted across the city amid concern the unrest was being fuelled by people who “wouldn’t be able to find the city on a map”.

Russian targeted | A senior official in charge of the Russian military’s artillery and missile ammunition supply directorate has been killed in a car bombing near Moscow, according to media reports.

Deep secrets | The oldest, deepest and most extensive whale graveyard yet discovered has been found in the south-eastern Indian Ocean, with fossils dating back more than 5m years.

Are you experienced? | The actor David Harbour has spokenfor the first time about Lily Allen’s revealing hit album West End Girl, which tracks the dissolution of their relationship, saying: “It wasn’t my experience.”

Full Story

The politics and profit of a World Cup in Trump’s America

Football journalist Samantha Lewis shares with Nour Haydar her concerns about how allegations of greed and political interference will affect the world’s most-watched sporting event.

In-depth

The budget reforms have offered hope for many that housing could become more affordable but there’s a long way to go. In this week’s column, Greg Jericho shows that an average home would cost $595,500 now if prices were the same now, relative to income, as they were before John Howard turned the market “into an investor casino”.

Not the news

“Russian” manicures, which involve the complete removal of the cuticle with a drill spinning at 35,000 revolutions per minute, are increasingly popular. But, as Isabella Lee discovers, there are concerns about whether they’re safe.

Sport

World Cup | With the actual football about to start, our writers try to predict who will win. Australia face a stiff test to progress to the knockout rounds after being drawn with the USA, Turkey and Paraguay. Here we run the rule over the hosts, interview their coach, Mauricio Pochettino, and also look at their Brooklyn-born, London-raised striker threat, Folarin Balogun. Follow updates live as the countdown begins to the big kick-off between Mexico and South Africa at 5am AEST tomorrow.

Cricket | Joe Root will captain England in next week’s second Test against New Zealand after Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were left out of the squad for breaking the team curfew.

Basketball | The owner of the New York Knicks has criticised city officials for huge security around Game 4 of the NBA finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, local time. The Knicks lead 2-1.

Media roundup

The Telegraph reports One Nation has raised $1m to launch its attack campaign against the Albanese government. The Australian warns that BHP faces a $126m-a-day strike as unions “run rampant” in Port Hedland. The Age says the Indian government wants to buy Australian uranium to power its datacentre boom. The Tasmanian and federal governments have announced a $105m package to save Hobart’s Nystar zinc smelter, the Mercury reports.

What’s happening today

Canberra | Public hearing on the NDIS amendment bill.

Culture | Dark Mofo opens in Hobart.

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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

Cryptic crossword

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