Good afternoon. A ceasefire in Israel-Palestine has become a matter of life or death for millions, the commissioner of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Philippe Lazzarini, has said, adding that nearly 70% of those reported killed in Gaza are women and children.
Hamas militants have reported clashes with Israeli troops in the north-west and southern Gaza Strip today, as tanks and other armoured vehicles advanced on its main city.
In the US, the Biden administration continues to reject calls for a ceasefire, although it has pushed for a pause in hostilities at the UN Security Council. Civil rights groups have warned of a “McCarthyite backlash” against critics of Israel after Americans expressing support for the Palestinians have been sacked, faced threats of violence and hounded by pro-Israel groups.
The family of Shani Nouk, a young Israeli-German woman whose fate became indelibly associated around the globe with the Hamas massacre and mass kidnapping rampage of 7 October, have confirmed she was killed in the attack.
Top news
Murder charge over woman’s death in Perth | Homicide squad detectives have charged a 42-year-old man with murder after a woman in her 30s was found dead in a luxury hotel room at Crown Towers.
Corruption claims in Australia-funded refugee program | Papua New Guinea’s government says it will investigate allegations revealed by Guardian Australia that millions of dollars in the program have potentially been misused. Australia funded PNG’s refugee support program through a contract signed in 2021 by the then Morrison government, which was kept secret at the time and the details of which the Albanese government still refuses to reveal.
Queensland fires | Residents in parts of Queensland’s Darling Downs region have again been urged to leave immediately amid extreme fire conditions threatening multiple towns. An emergency warning has been issued for parts of Tara and Wieambilla, with residents warned their lives could be at risk, and it will “soon be too dangerous to drive”.
SA shark attack | Emergency services are searching for the body of a 55-year-old man believed to be the victim of a shark attack at Westall Way Loop near Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula at about 10.20am this morning. “Eyre and western police immediately responded and initiated a search with the assistance of Police Water Operations, PolAir, State Emergency Service (SES) and local volunteers. The search will continue through to day’s end,” police said.
Sam Kerr finishes second in Ballon d’Or vote | The Matildas captain has been named the second best women’s footballer on the planet after coming runner-up in the prestigious Ballon d’Or Feminin at a star-studded ceremony in Paris.
Rescuers free humpback whale in Alaska | Local residents discovered the trapped whale “trailing two buoys, making unusual sounds and having trouble moving freely”. The whale was “hog-tied” to a 136kg crab pot.
Baltic Sea oil leak | Swedish authorities are battling to stabilise a ferry that ran aground off south-eastern Sweden. The grounding released a slick of fuel that reached the shore near Solvesborg, 110km north-east of Malmö, Sweden’s third-largest city. Swedish media carried photos of birds partly covered in oil.
Disabled man drags himself off Air Canada flight | Air Canada has been forced to apologise after a man with spastic cerebral palsy was forced to drag himself off a plane when the flagship carrier failed to provide a wheelchair for him. Rodney Hodgins, 49, was forced to use his upper body strength to haul himself past 12 rows of seats, with his wife holding his legs. In her Facebook post, Deanna Hodgins said the event left the couple devastated.
Full Story
Greg Jericho: a ‘silly’ rate rise won’t solve inflation
All four big banks are predicting the Reserve Bank will raise interest rates next week. Guardian Australia columnist Greg Jericho explains why a rate hike would increase the pain on households for little gain. Listen to this 24-minute episode.
What they said …
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“This is all nonsense!” – Robert De Niro
De Niro blurted out the remark in a New York court room, where he is facing a A$19m lawsuit from his former personal assistant alleging workplace abuse.
In numbers
The head of Unicef said the “true cost” of the latest escalation in Gaza will be measured in children’s lives.
Before bed read
Check out Australia’s best political cartoons of 2023, rounded up by Russ Radcliffe.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: CURE. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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