Good afternoon. Australia has shifted its position on the Israel-Gaza war, joining 152 nations at the UN to call for an immediate ceasefire. The non-binding vote at the UN general assembly followed a joint statement by Australia, Canada and New Zealand calling for a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.
Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, said the “human suffering is widespread and it is unacceptable”.
It represents a rare split from key ally the US, which was among 10 nations to vote against the UN resolution. However, the US president, Joe Biden, delivered his strongest warning yet to Israel that it is losing international support and said the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had to “change this government”, which Biden called “the most conservative” in the country’s history.
Top news
Yemen’s Houthis warn ships travelling to Israel | A senior official from Yemen’s Houthis has warned cargo ships in the Red Sea to avoid travelling toward Israel and the occupied territories, after the Iran-aligned group claimed an attack on a commercial tanker earlier in the day. Attacks on vessels close to Yemen have led to a rise in the cost of shipping with fears that supply chains could be disrupted.
Texts between Project producer and Lisa Wilkinson revealed | The Project producer Angus Llewellyn was cross-examined today in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation trial against Network Ten and Wilkinson. Llewellyn said in his affidavit, published by the federal court, that on 19 January 2021 he received a text from Wilkinson saying: “I have an explosive political story for Sunday Project.” The affidavit shows the process The Project team took in getting the story to air, including interactions with Brittany Higgins and her fiance, David Sharaz.
Cyclone Jasper update | About 15,000 homes are now without power in far north Queensland, mostly around Cairns and Port Douglas. The cyclone is now a category 2 system, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, and is producing damaging wind gusts that will increase as it continues to approach the north Queensland coast. It is currently located 125km from Cairns with winds of 95km/h near the centre and wind gusts to 130km/h – predicted to reach up to 140km/h. Heavy to intense rainfall is expected to develop overnight. Follow the updates via our blog.
Proposed climate deal calls for ‘transitioning away’ from fossil fuels | The proposed agreement released by the president of the Cop28 summit would, for the first time, call on nations to transition away from fossil fuels to avert the worst impacts of climate change. The latest draft text did not include a commitment to phase out or phase down fossil fuels, as many countries, civil society groups and scientists have urged.
Queensland Labor pause Gabba rebuild | In a backflip announced on Tuesday, the premier-to-be, Steven Miles, said he would establish an independent body to oversee infrastructure for the 2032 Olympics, signalling a “pause” on the controversial $2.7bn Gabba rebuild.
More money for NDIS | NDIS payments are expected to increase by $2.6bn over the four years to 2026-27, in the wake of last week’s national cabinet agreement and release of the independent review. The federal government’s mid-year budget update has shown payments to the scheme will grow by $697m in 2023-24 alone, pointing to pricing decisions made by the scheme’s board.
Man and woman charged with murdering Adelaide doctor | South Australian police arrested a 22-year-old man and 27-year-old woman at a home in Torrensville in Adelaide’s inner west last night in relation to the death of prominent local doctor Michael Yung.
Derek Bromley loses final bid for freedom | An Indigenous man jailed for life for a 1984 murder he says he did not commit has lost a bid to have his case re-heard in the nation’s highest court, despite two of the judges saying there is a “significant possibility” he is innocent.
Jimmy Barnes undergoes open heart surgery | The 67-year-old Cold Chisel frontman was hospitalised two weeks ago for pneumonia, and cancelled a show onboard a cruise to Noumea as part of Rock the Boat festival.
In pictures
“The world is torn in half. How can we bear this?” asks cartoonist First Dog on the Moon. Click here to read his cartoon.
What they said …
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“If it was up to me, I don’t really want to play any more, to be honest.” – Nick Kyrgios
The 28-year-old told a British podcaster that he was “exhausted” from the tour grind, and that in an ideal world his career would be over.
In numbers
Like many insects, Christmas beetles are likely to be threatened by habitat loss – a situation that can be helped by conserving our native bushland.
Before bed read
From picture books to young adult novels and nonfiction, here are the best Australian children’s books of 2023.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: ETCH. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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