Liberals back down | The NSW Liberals have decided not to take legal action against the state’s electoral commission over the party’s council election bungle, but the party leader Mark Speakman (pictured) could face a legal battle with candidates furious at being unable to run.

Union anger | Construction union members are “angry” and there is a “strong sentiment” among many to disaffiliate from the Labor party, the Construction Forestry Maritime and Energy Union’s national secretary has warned.

‘Enough is enough’ | Teal MPs have called time on poor question time behaviour, claiming performances by the opposition during recent sitting weeks have been “condescending”, “aggressive” and “often misogynistic”. Data shows Coalition MPs are far and away more likely to be ejected from the chamber. It follows Peter Dutton’s challenge to the government’s visa approval process and some incendiary scenes in parliament, but what are the facts about Gaza refugees?

Exclusive | An insider at a government-contracted market research firm is alleging it was “standard practice” to fabricate survey data on potential defence recruits. It follows allegations this week by a research interviewer for McNair yellowSquares that he was instructed to fabricate data on Indigenous Australians.

Bat fix | Australian windfarm operators are being urged to embrace a simple measure used overseas that scientists say could dramatically reduce the number of bats killed by turbines.

Obama speech | Barack Obama is expected to deliver a “forceful affirmation” that Kamala Harris should be president during his speech to the Democratic convention in Chicago later today with his wife Michelle also taking the stage to support the party’s candidate. Women who backed Nikki Haley are turning to the Harris cause, polling shows, and you can follow developments in Chicago live.

Ukraine push | Fierce fighting has continued inside Russia as Ukrainian troops tried to seize more territory and used kamikaze drones to blow up a Russian pontoon bridge across a strategic river crossing.

Yacht toll | Six people are now presumed dead after the superyacht they were onboard sank in a violent storm off the the coast of Sicily, as divers try to access the inside of the vessel where the missing people may have been trapped. Climate change fuelled the storm that capsized the yacht, experts claim.

Hostages recovered | Israel has recovered the bodies of six hostages who were seized during Hamas’s 7 October attack and taken to Gaza, its military has announced.

Delon’s dog | The late French actor Alain Delon’s wish that his pet Belgian malinois, Loubo, be put down and buried with him has been rejected by his children after an outcry from animal rights campaigners.

Tennis | Jannik Sinner, the No 1 men’s tennis player, has been found to bear no fault or negligence for two failed anti-doping tests after twice testing positive for the banned substance clostebol in March.

Cricket | Ollie Pope goes into the first of three games as England’s Test captain, standing in for the injured Ben Stokes for the series against Sri Lanka.

Vaulting ambition | Alpine skiing great Ingemar Stenmark, 68, who won two Winter Olympic golds in his career, has taken part in the world masters athletics championship, clearing three metres in the pole vault to wild applause.

Sydney | Supreme court judgment as not-for-profit challenges brumby culls.

Canberra | State education ministers will join the Australian Education Union, teachers, parents and students rallying for full funding of public schools.

Queensland | Findings to be handed down into death of woman and four children in Kingaroy.

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