Pauline Hanson’s right-hand man, warnings Moscow may target Nato, and the end of card surcharges

Explainer | Debit and credit card surcharges will be eliminated from 1 October, as part of Reserve Bank reforms that will do away with extra checkout fees on Visa, Mastercard, and Eftpos payments.

Exclusive | One Nation’s national director, James Ashby, is enjoying generous benefits as a result of his role working for One Nation, with documents showing that a company linked to the party built a $56,000 shed on his central Queensland property.

The road ahead | Australian households will shrink but more people can expect to live well into their 90s, according to the Treasury’s latest intergenerational report looking ahead 40 years into the future.

Valley Heights stabbings | A child has died in a stabbing attack in the Blue Mountains, with two other children and a woman being treated in hospital in a critical condition, NSW police say.

Outfoxed? | Most people can identify wombats and kangaroos as Australian animals, but one in six people surveyed in Queensland, NSW and Victoria think red foxes are native wildlife.

Russia-Ukraine war | Baltic spy chiefs warn Moscow is preparing for more decisive action in Europe; Ukraine has targeted Moscow and the surrounding region in a large-scale attack involving hundreds of drones on the final day of Russia’s parliamentary elections.

Analysis | China is pushing back against US warnings over rapid AI development, as Beijing views calls for a slowdown as a mechanism to lock in advantages enjoyed by American tech companies.

Middle East crisis | Nations across the Middle East are bracing for an escalation of violence after Iran claimed it had received intelligence that the US was preparing for a renewed bombing campaign.

‘Profound upheaval’ | Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has vowed to stay in office despite his party’s heavy losses in two state elections, one to the far right and the other to a leftwing party.

Back on stage | Amid continued calls for a fan boycott, Ed Sheeran says the situation in Gaza is “catastrophic and unjustifiable” in his first show since his tour plunged into turmoil.

Triumphal arch | Donald Trump claims the triumphal arch he is planning for Washington DC will serve as a “top grade military complex” replete with drone and ammunition storage space.