Good morning. Donald Trump makes a lot of wild claims and it’s not often the White House feels the need to address one. But the former president’s call for the US constitution to be “terminated”, over his lie that the 2020 election was stolen, prompted a stern dressing down from the Biden administration which said it should be “universally condemned”.
In Australia, a former British policeman claims he was bashed, stabbed with a syringe and denied prescription drugs while wrongfully jailed for more than 200 days and has lodged a $2.1m lawsuit against the state of Queensland.
And a volcanic eruption in Indonesia has spewed a cloud of ash 15km into the sky and forced the evacuation of nearly 2,000 people.
Australia
Policing | A former British policeman wrongfully jailed for more than 200 days has lodged a $2.1m lawsuit against the state of Queensland and a police officer who, court documents allege, stated he “hated” the man, threatened to beat his wife and unnecessarily searched through her underwear drawers.
Liberal party | Fewer than one in five teal independent voters were disaffected Coalition voters, with most identifying as far to the political left as Labor voters regard themselves, a major study has found.
GP crisis | Drastic measures are needed to preserve Medicare, according to a new report from the Grattan Institute which argues for a major overhaul of the way general practices operate.
Gender inequality | Australian women have poorer health, lower incomes and less engagement in the labour force than men, a new report says.
Biodiversity | Australia is being urged to take a leadership role at a global summit that aims to reach what has been described as the nature equivalent of the landmark Paris agreement on climate change.
Brittany Higgins | Brittany Higgins will launch a compensation claim against former Morrison government minister Linda Reynolds – her boss at the time of her alleged rape – in coming weeks, as the former staffer calls for justice system reform.
World
US politics | The Biden White House rebuked Donald Trump after the former president said the US constitution should be “terminated” over his lie that the 2020 election was stolen.
Indonesia | A volcano has erupted in Indonesia, spewing a cloud of ash 15km into the sky and forcing the evacuation of nearly 2,000 people, authorities have said, as they issued their highest warning for the area in the east of Java island.
China | An attempt to flood social media platforms with spam in order to drown out coverage of the lockdown protests in China was probably backed by the Chinese government, according to analysis by a US cybersecurity firm.
Ukraine | A draft resolution is circulating at the United Nations in New York for a Nuremberg-style tribunal to hold the Russian leadership accountable for crimes of aggression in Ukraine.
Medicine | Early next year, a radical new treatment for Parkinson’s disease involving tissue transplants will receive its first trial with patients.
Full Story
How far could China’s zero-Covid protests go?
China has been rocked by an outpouring of communal anger at the government’s restrictive zero-Covid lockdown policies. Could the protests develop into something more substantial? Tania Branigan reports in today’s Full Story.
In-depth
Construction of the world’s largest radio astronomy observatory, the Square Kilometre Array, has officially begun in Australia after three decades in development. SKA-Low is so named for its sensitivity to low-frequency radio signals. It will be eight times more sensitive than existing comparable telescopes and will map the sky 135 times faster. It’s been described by scientists as a gamechanger and a major milestone in astronomy research.
Not the news
Escape the endless cycle of depressing news and lose yourself in the best books of 2022.
The world of sport
World Cup | Mat Ryan says he is “not surprised” his FC Copenhagen goalkeeping rival publicly sledged his mistake that gifted Argentina their second goal, while promising not to let it define him after an otherwise unblemished World Cup campaign.
France 3-1 Poland | A stunning double from Kylian Mbappé saw France cruise past Poland with its attack clicking at just the right moment.
England v Senegal | The Three Lions take on the African champions – follow live.
Cricket | West Indies’ hopes for a draw were battered by a bowling onslaught as Australia won the first Test.
Pelé | The Brazilian football great Pelé posted on Instagram on Saturday evening to say that he is feeling “strong” and “with hope”, after reports that he had been moved to palliative care.
Media roundup
The Australian’s Newspoll has Anthony Albanese ending the year on a popularity high. Punctuation, sentence structure and grammar are emphasised in an overhaul of the school syllabus, says the Sydney Morning Herald. And policymakers expect Australians to enjoy their first Christmas in years unaffected by Covid restrictions and bushfires before being stung by inflation and interest rates in 2023, the Brisbane Times reports.
What’s happening today
Indigenous justice | The National Indigenous Legal & Health Justice Conference gets under way in Hobart.
Climate crisis | The four-day World Renewable Energy Congress begins in Perth.
Protests | A rally in support of Violet Coco will be held in 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.
