Good morning, this is Eleanor Ainge Roy bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Monday 4 September. Top stories North Korea's latest nuclear test has created tremors around the world, with US defence secretary James Mattis warning the rogue state that "any threat to the United States or its territories including Guam or our allies will be met with a massive military response". But he cautioned that the Trump administration was not looking for the "annihilation" of any country, including North Korea. On Twitter, Donald Trump declared: "The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea." The threat is not viewed as credible. In 2016 the US imported $463bn worth of goods from China, North Korea's biggest trade partner. Cutting off trade with Beijing would trigger a protectionist spiral that would create a global recession. Trump's rhetoric has not only failed to rein in the North Koreans, but also threatens a disastrous split with US allies, above all South Korea, writes Julian Borger. Follow our live blog of developing events and reaction here. The Greens have launched themselves into the debate about the Finkel review's recommendation for a clean energy target by warning Labor not to do any deals that would extend the life of coal-fired power in Australia. The Greens climate change spokesman, Adam Bandt, plans to kick off parliament's spring session by telling his fellow MPs any such deal would create a "valley of death" for short-term investment in renewables. It's likely to be a fiery week in parliament, with Labor promising to put more pressure on deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce to step aside until the high court rules on his citizenship status, and the media ownership bill back in the Senate, where Nick Xenophon has very different ideas from One Nation's proposal for more regulation of the ABC. The marriage equality debate is a tricky one for many Muslim Australians. One community leader says those who oppose same-sex marriage are afraid to speak out for fear of being labelled extremists, including by Christian conservatives who themselves oppose it. Ali Kadri, a spokesman for the Islamic Council of Queensland, told Guardian Australia that imams and community leaders "who represent the vast majority of the Muslim community" were staying out of the postal survey debate for fear of backlash. A rise in the number of "sextortion" cases is concerning UK police, who say they suspect some cases are linked to subsequent suicides. The crime, also known as webcam blackmail, involves people being forced to send sexually explicit images of themselves to organised gangs, who then threaten to post the images online unless they are paid large sums of money. Between 2015 and 2016 the number of cases reported to police more than doubled, and the National Crime Agency said the number of victims, many of them young men, could be even higher. David Jones, head of the NCA's anti-kidnap and extortion unit, said: "This is a project that is very close to my heart after the sad deaths of four young men because of sextortion reported in recent times." Labor says it will not support the Coalition's proposed $10m penalty for secondary strikes or boycotts. Sympathy strikes, one of the most common forms of secondary boycott, involve a union taking industrial action to force an employer to cease trading with another entity until that targeted company agrees to industrial demands. The Coalition wants to discourage the practice more firmly by increasing the penalty from $750,000 to $10m under a competition bill due to return to parliament this week. Sport Maria Sharapova has been knocked out of the US Open, going down 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 to 16th seed Anastasija Sevastova. Sharapova saved three match points before finally succumbing. Follow the rest of the day's play on our live blog. After 26 compelling, vexed, hyper-physical and quite tiring rounds of this National Rugby League season, the ultimate octet has been decided: the Storm, Roosters, Broncos, Eels, Sharks, Sea Eagles, Panthers and Cowboys remain in the hunt for the 2017 Provan-Summons Trophy, writes Matt Cleary. Although the Socceroos are expected to beat Thailand in Tuesday's crucial World Cup qualifier, Thailand coach Milovan Rajevac has shattered Australian dreams before and could do so again after instilling some much-needed defensive discipline into a Thai side that had struggled until his arrival. John Duerden examines the most recent matches between the two countries, and analyses the Socceroos' chances on what promises to be a nerve-shredding night. Thinking time Imagine discovering your best friend is a murderer – and then writing a book about him. "Perhaps what I was doing was morally indefensible," writes Campbell McConachie, who says he was plagued by doubts over his profile of bloke-down-the-pub Lindsey Rose. "When I first drank beer with Lindsey he'd already killed three people. Oh, we had no idea." McConachie visited his old mate in Goulburn supermax 50 times to gather information for his first book, The Fatalist. He spoke to the Guardian about friendship, psycopathy and his quest for truth.
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Graffiti artist turned painter Jean-Michel Basquiat was a controversial star of the 1980s New York art scene, and his work has long divided the critics, with some dismissing it as lightweight wall-spray. However since his death, age 27, Basquiat's reputation has soared. "He was a beautiful person and an amazing artist," says Alexis Adler, a former girlfriend. "The only person around that time I felt the same thing about was Madonna. I totally, 100% knew they were going to be big." Miranda Sawyer looks back on Basquiat's intense and memorable life and work, and the drug addicton that led to his death. Svetlana Stankovic offers her verdict on the festival that wants to change the world. The makers of Antidote – the event formerly known as Festival of Dangerous Ideas – decided to reinvent themselves after eight years. "We know what the problems are in our society," said curator Danielle Harvey at the opening night. "Now it's about action." But is it possible to inspire transformation and lasting change in two days? Media roundup The Canberra Times splashes with a concerning story, revealing that one of the city's last providers of respite care for young people with high needs is closing its doors. About 80 families who rely on Marymead's overnight care for young people with disabilities will lose access to the vital service from late October, with one parent fearing she may have to surrender care of her son as a result. The West Australian has an eye-catching front-page on a special report into WA cyclists who refuse to wear helmets, saying doctors have growing concerns for their safety. R U OK day has become well-known in Australia as a day to check-in with loved ones and strangers alike, and give them to the opportunity to talk about any struggles they might be having. Founder Gavin Larkin would have been proud to see the impact his vision has had on suicide prevention in Australia, but sadly he died of lymphoma in 2011. Six years on, the ABC looks back on Larkin's life, which is also the subject of Australian Story tonight. Coming up The $70m settlement of a class action taken by more than 1900 current and former Manus Island detainees is back before the Victorian supreme court for a final ruling on whether it should go ahead. About 70% of the group have so far registered to be part of the settlement, and about 8% have lodged objections. Australia take on Bangladesh in the second cricket Test in Chittagong, facing the possibility of a historic series defeat after going down to a fast-improving home side in Dhaka. Supporting the Guardian We'd like to acknowledge our generous supporters who enable us to keep reporting on the critical stories. If you value what we do and would like to help, please make a contribution or become a supporter today. Thank you. |
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Donald Trump has threatend to stop trade with all countries that do business with North Korea. Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP 
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