Morning, everyone. We’ve done a lot of reporting on the havoc wreaked by ex-Cyclone Jasper on land. But today our top story looks at concerns about the damage done to the Great Barrier Reef as the storm system crossed the Coral Sea, whipping up eight-metre high waves as it went. We’ll also be dissecting Anthony Albanese’s keynote foreign policy speech at the Lowy last night, the latest Israeli attacks in Gaza have pushed Palestinian casualties close to 20,000, and we look back at the year in video.
Australia
Assange monitor | US officials monitored pro-Assange protests in Australia for “anti-US sentiment”, warned of “increasing sympathy, particularly on the left” for the WikiLeaks founder in his home country and derided local media’s “sensationalist” reporting of the explosive 2010 cable leaks, previously classified records show.
Reef fears | Cyclone Jasper’s slow-moving progress across the Coral Sea exposed as much as 20% of the Great Barrier Reef to waves high enough to break apart corals, according to modelling by scientists, who are also worried that flood waters that drained out into the reef’s lagoon waters could damage corals and seagrass meadows close to shore.
Albanese speech | Anthony Albanese has declared Australia is not trying to “hold back a changing world or isolate ourselves from it” as it pursues the Aukus pact while also rebuilding the country’s standing in the Pacific.
Gambling lobby | Gambling companies, broadcasters, sport bodies and technology firms have all sought or secured meetings with the communications minister and her staff to respond to a proposed total ban on wagering advertising.
Meal deal | Skyrocketing rents are forcing Australia’s urban restaurateurs to innovate and and experiment, leading a rise in eating venues in car parks, disused petrol stations and car washes.
World
Call to arms | Ukraine’s President Volodomyr Zelenskiy says the country’s military wants an additional 450,000 to 500,000 people to be mobilised into the army but that a final decision had not been taken. Speaking in his end-of-year address, Zelenskiy also said elections could not be held while the war continued.
Palestinian casualties near 20,000 | Israeli forces have bombed a home in southern Gaza, killing 25 people, hit a refugee camp in the north and raided one of the area’s last operating hospitals, as Palestinian casualties in the territory climbed towards 20,000.
Activist on trial | Li Qiaochu, a human rights activist detained for nearly three years in China, has gone on trial in Shandong province charged with “inciting subversion of state power”.
Michelle’s moan | The bitter fallout among UK Conservatives over PPE contracts deepened after the life peer and bra tycoon Michelle Mone launched a spray at a former minister after he accused her of not being honest about her financial interests.
Handbags at dawn | A descendant of the Hermès luxury handbag empire is engulfed in a public battle with the charitable foundation he founded after reports that he planned to cut its funding and leave billions to his former gardener.
Full Story
The year women changed Australian sport
In 2023 the Matildas won the heart of a nation with a home World Cup drawing record audiences and there were other seismic shifts on pay, funding and followers. Jo Khan and Jack Snape discuss the best moments of 2023 and what 2024 has in store.
In-depth
From the voice referendum to the robodebt inquiry, and from the Matildas to the Ashes with many more things inbetween, our video team have spliced together a punchy, moving and entertaining mash-up of the year’s events for you to enjoy.
Not the news
Two new biographies celebrate the life and times of Frank Moorhouse, the writer renowned for his short stories and taking on the censorship laws, which saw some of his work banned. Nigel Featherstone explores the strands of creativity, masculinity, activism and conflicted sexuality that made “all the complexities and contradictions of the man”.
The world of sport
Cricket | Australia’s captain Pat Cummins has capped off a triumphant year by becoming the highest-paid player in the history of the Indian Premier League auction – only for team-mate Mitchell Starc to break the record an hour later.
Rugby union | Michael Cheika could return as Wallabies coach after ending his stint in Argentina, with Rugby Australia’s chief executive, Phil Waugh, not ruling out a second term.
Golf | The field at next year’s US Masters will be the smallest for years with as few as 77 players expected to compete at Augusta.
Media roundup
The number of people killed on Australia’s roads has increased 6.3% in the past year, the ABC reports, with some pointing to people driving more since the pandemic. Setting higher behaviour standards and holding study skills sessions has helped one high school soar 200 places in the HSC rankings, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The Northern Territory’s opposition leader says the government is “rudderless” after the shock resignation of Natasha Fyles, the NT News reports.
What’s happening today
Launceston | A man charged with murdering teenager Shyanne-Lee Tatnell will appear in court.
Queensland | An urgent interim restraint order application by state government against a composting facility causing foul smell in Ipswich will be reviewed.
Politics | New Zealand’s prime minister, Chris Luxton, will visit Sydney.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
