Good afternoon. Cairns airport is submerged in water, the ADF has been called in and all major state roads and rail have been cut due to severe flooding across far north Queensland.
The Barron River catchment has recorded 2,200mm of rain in the last week, causing a spill of flood water – and some saltwater crocodiles – in several locations. The Douglas Shire mayor, Michael Kerr, said he had “never seen anything as bad as this”.
The entire Indigenous community of Wujal Wujal, north of Cape Tribulation, is to be evacuated after nine residents were trapped on their rooftops. The federal government said it would send 150 ADF support personnel and helicopters to assist with rescue efforts.
Top news
WHO ‘appalled’ by Israeli raid on Gaza hospital | The World Health Organization condemned a deadly Israeli raid on Gaza’s Kamal Adwan hospital on the weekend. Separately, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said an Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp killed at least 80 Palestinians. And the Israeli army says it has uncovered the biggest Hamas tunnel in the Gaza Strip so far.
US to announce maritime protection force in Red Sea | The force involving several Arab allies of the US will be deployed to combat the increasingly frequent Houthi attacks being mounted from Yemen’s ports on commercial shipping in the Red Sea heading to Israeli ports. Australia is still considering a US request to send a warship as part of the force, Anthony Albanese said today.
Dodgy real estate agents fined for underquoting in Victoria | A crackdown on real estate agents caught underquoting on properties has netted more than $1m in fines in Victoria. A state government taskforce was launched in September 2022 to stamp out agents who advertise a property for a price that’s less than the estimated value.
National parks service defends culling horses | A trial of aerial culling of feral horses in Kosciuszko national park has been defended as humane. The NSW government last month conducted the trial – opposed by brumby activists - which resulted in the killing of 270 feral horses, which authorities blame for damaging endangered species and ecosystems in the park.
North Korea launches ballistic missiles | Observers say the launches, which landed in the Sea of Japan, were likely a protest against the moves by South Korea and the United States to bolster their nuclear deterrence plans in the face of North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats.
Florida Republican party chair suspended amid rape accusation | Party demands Christian Ziegler’s resignation after he was accused of raping a woman he and his wife had a prior relationship with. Ziegler has not been charged with a crime and says he is innocent, contending the encounter was consensual.
Chile votes to reject new conservative constitution | The proposed constitution, drafted by the far-right Republican party, contained controversial clauses, which activists said could have led to access to safe abortions being repealed.
In video
Drone vision shows Smithfield, near Cairns, under water
Click here to watch the video.
What they said …
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“I absolutely remember the word rape. That’s not something that you forget. And she absolutely did say that.” – Samuel O’Connor, Queensland LNP state MP
O’Connor told the federal court in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson that he received a text message from Brittany Higgins on 29 March 2019 saying she had a “super fucked up thing” happen to her and he called her. Bruce Lehrmann has repeatedly denied raping Higgins.
In numbers
Jessica Vincent, who bought the rare item at a Goodwill charity shop, said: “I had a sense that it might be a $1,000 or $2,000 piece.”
Before bed read
In Italy, it’s not really Christmas unless there’s a panettone. Panettone is “the Mount Everest of leavened breads … difficult to make and extremely difficult to make well,” says Lombardy-born chef Stefano Manfredi. Here’s how to pick a good one this week.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: PLOT. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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