Morning everyone. Iran has launched a big wave of missile strikes on Israel, leading to a vow of retaliation from the latter as the Middle East conflict continues to escalate. We have the latest news and analysis.

At home, police are going to court to try to stop pro-Palestine protests in Sydney this weekend, and more light is shed on the census questions fiasco. In the US, the would-be vice-presidents face off against each other in a debate later this morning, as Republicans complain about a 13m-high nude effigy of Donald Trump.

Australia

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• Dingo danger | Traditional owners and dingo advocates say a Victorian government decision extending the right to kill dingoes on private and public land until 2028 could threaten local populations with extinction.

• Exclusive | The organisers behind weekly pro-Palestine protests in Sydney have criticised NSW police for their decision to apply to the state’s supreme court to prevent two rallies from going ahead this long weekend. Meanwhile debate continues about what could, and what should happen after Hezbollah flags were waved during a protest last weekend.

• Census scramble | In August, the Albanese government made a last-minute rejection to proposed questions on sexuality and gender diversity in the upcoming 2026 census, sending bureaucrats into a weekend scramble, new documents show.

• Katherine death | A woman has been killed in Katherine in what is suspected to be the Northern Territory town’s second suspected death from domestic violence since July.

• ‘Unrealisable justice’ | Julian Assange has said he chose freedom “over unrealisable justice” as he described his plea deal with US authorities and urged European lawmakers to act to protect freedom of expression in a climate with “more impunity, more secrecy [and] more retaliation for telling the truth”.

World

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• Iran attacks | Iran launched a wave of missiles at Israel hours after White House officials warned Tehran was planning to strike with ballistic weapons, with Tehran describing it as “legitimate” response to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel claimed most of the 180 missiles were intercepted and vowed to retaliate, raising fears of an all-out war in the region. Minutes before the Iranian attack, six people were killed and 10 wounded in a shooting and knife attack on the Israeli seaside city of Jaffa. The war also risks igniting tensions between Lebanon’s complex mix of communities but appears to have left Benjamin Netanyahu in his strongest position domestically since the Hamas attack on Israel a year ago. Follow the latest developments here.

• Statue of Trump | A 13m-high effigy of an entirely nude Donald Trump on the interstate from Las Vegas to Reno, Nevada, has been dismissed as “deplorable” and “pornographic” by Republicans.

• Debt threat | France’s new prime minister, Michel Barnier, has told MPs that “colossal” debt is a financial “sword of Damocles” hanging over the country, requiring cuts in public spending and tax increases.

• Clause for thought | A New Jersey couple seriously injured when their Uber driver ran a red light and collided with another car have lost their bid to sue the company because their daughter clicked disclaimers while ordering food on the app.

• Comet coming | A comet not seen from Earth for 80,000 years has reappeared in the sky, with astronomers saying it might be visible to the naked eye.

Full Story

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Could supermarket superprofits be fuelling Australia’s inflation?

As the competitioon watchdog pursues the big two supermarkets over alleged price gouging, Greg Jericho tells Matilda Boseley why he thinks corporations, not consumers, should be made to pay for the cost-of-living crisis.

In-depth

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JD Vance and Tim Walz are preparing to go head-to-head in the vice-presidential debate this morning, the biggest moment in their political careers. It pits the “Yale law guy” against the “football coach” guy in a battle of two midwesterners who might have geographic roots in common but are quite different. Here’s when and how to watch in Australia.

Not the news

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The new Disney+ original series Last Days of the Space Age is set in Perth and concerns a group of striking power station workers and their families. It reaches for an “end of an era” feel but, according to Luke Buckmaster, an unconvincing period setting removes “history’s rough edges”. He writes: “As a historical or quasi-historical portrait, it feels like a shiny billboard advertising a past that never happened.”

The world of sport

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• NRL | Nathan Cleary has missed most of the NRL season but, thanks in part to his dog Prince, he has a chance of leading Penrith to a grand final four-peat against Melbourne on Sunday. And is Craig Bellamy the greatest coach of all time?

• Football | Arsenal at home to Paris Saint Germain, and Dortmund hosting Celtic are among the highlights of this morning’s Champions League matches.

• Tennis | Carlos Alcaraz set up a blockbuster final against Janik Sinner with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals of the China Open.

Media roundup

The Sydney Morning Herald claims an exclusive on plans for job cuts at three Sydney hospitals which could lead to industrial action. The Herald Sun lists what it says are the “unproven therapies and everyday lifestyle costs” that have been banned from NDIS claims. Tasmanian Greens senator Nick McKim tells the Mercury that his party can win additional Senate seat in the state at Labor’s expense.The Northern Territory’s new chief minister claims there is record levels of interest in buying and building new homes, the NT News reports.

What’s happening today

• Sydney | Directions in civil proceeding by comedian Rosie Waterland against the state of NSW.

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

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