Angus Taylor has attempted to clarify his comments on multiculturalism after a series of five non-answers on Tuesday left colleagues dumbfounded and questioning the opposition leader's approach to One Nation. Some Liberals suspect his equivocation is partly influenced by former prime minister Tony Abbott, who issued a tacit endorsement of Pauline Hanson's position in a Sky News interview.
Senior Liberals rally behind multiculturalism
Senior Liberals lined up on Wednesday to endorse Australia's cultural diversity. Outspoken backbencher Andrew McLachlan went further, telling Guardian Australia: 'If you aspire to lead our nation you should embrace the reality of modern Australia. It is a prerequisite of a leader to fight for the aspirations of each and every member of our community.'
Other top news stories
Bird flu has been confirmed in a second Australian state, with an infected petrel bringing deadly H5N1 cases to three. A woman attacked by a shark at Coogee beach woke briefly from a coma to say three words. An artist accused of winning a prize with an 'imitation' won an Australian award with a piece 'influenced' by Basquiat. Nine is considering Karl Stefanovic's future after a podcast with UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Multiple Airbus A380 planes are to be grounded for urgent inspections after cracks were found in wings. An admiral fired in Pete Hegseth's purge won the Democratic primary in South Carolina. France recorded its hottest day ever as 40 people drowned across the country. The Socceroos face a selection dilemma for the Paraguay game with changes expected for the 2026 World Cup.
World Cup roundup
After a flying start to their tournament, England came back down to earth with a 0-0 draw against a resolutely defensive Ghana. The Africans could well have had a penalty to claim the win, although England skipper Harry Kane missed a chance he would usually convert near the end. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo answered his critics with a double in Portugal's 5-0 defeat of Uzbekistan. Croatia's Luka Modric joined a select group of four players (including Ronaldo) to reach 200 games for his country in a 1-0 win over Panama, while Colombia left it late to beat DR Congo and advance to the knockout stages.
In pictures: Nature photographer of the year
One hundred incredible images have been shortlisted by the South Australian Museum as part of this year's Australian Geographic nature photographer of the year competition. In its 23rd year, the competition attracted 2,129 entries from 501 photographers in 17 countries. Photographer Mat Bell described his work: 'Huddled in a Zodiac boat in icy waters off the Antarctic Peninsula, I waited patiently for an Adélie penguin to propel itself from the water to the safety of an iceberg. Persistence delivered as I captured this penguin in an almost levitational-like state, as if posing for the camera.'
What they said: Trump's health concerns
'Illness freaks him out; he perceives illness as weakness, usually, and he certainly perceives any sense that he is having an issue as a projection of weakness,' said Maggie Haberman. Haberman and Jonathan Swan cracked the White House Situation Room for their book 'Regime Change' on Donald Trump's second term, but ran up against a wall when reporting on the 80-year-old US president's fitness for office.
Podcast: Brexit 10 years on
Today in Focus examines the 10-year anniversary of the Brexit referendum result, which upended British politics. The Guardian's economics editor Heather Stewart and Nosheen Iqbal examine the long shadow of that decision, from economic friction and toxic immigration debate to the endless churn of prime ministers.
Before bed read: Microneedling science
'Microneedling consists of taking tiny needles and sticking them into your skin, mostly on the face but sometimes elsewhere on your body,' writes Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz. As a society we constantly look for ways to look younger, from nasal sprays filled with stem cells to useless supplements. Most don't work. Microneedling is popular, but is stabbing yourself really based on science?
