Good afternoon. For the first time in more than two decades, Australia has voted with 156 other countries at the UN general assembly to demand the end of Israel’s “unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible”.
The resolution demands Israel “comply strictly with its obligations under international law”, referring to an international court of justice ruling in July this year which ordered Israel to end its occupation. It also rejects any attempt by Israel at “demographic or territorial change” in the Gaza Strip.
James Larsen, Australia’s ambassador to the UN, said Australia would support the resolution to reflect growing international momentum towards a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.
Meanwhile the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said he did not support the shift in stance, claiming the Albanese government had “sold the Jewish community out for green votes in western Sydney and places like Marrickville”.
Top news
South Korean president faces calls to resign | Yoon Suk Yeol is facing calls to quit immediately or face impeachment, after unanimous opposition from the national assembly saw him reverse his shock decision to implement martial law over what he called “anti-state activities” by the opposition. Follow all the latest developments in our live blog.
Pauline Hanson loses bid to halve Faruqi costs | The One Nation leader had applied to the federal court to reduce the costs owed to Mehreen Faruqi after a tweet telling the Greens senator to “piss off back to Pakistan” was found to be racially discriminatory.
Australia’s GDP expands by 0.3% | The economy grew at a weaker-than-expected pace in the September quarter despite extra government spending, boosting the chance of an early interest rate cut.
Easey Street suspect to face court | Perry Kouroumblis will be formally charged with two counts of murder and one count of rape over the 1977 deaths, police said, after he was extradited from Italy to Melbourne. Kouroumblis has maintained his innocence.
Commonwealth Bank backs down on $3 withdrawal fee | The bank conceded it had done a “poor job of communicating” and would pause plans to start charging some users $3 “assisted withdrawal fees” for accessing their cash at a branch, post office or via phone.
Guardian UK journalists on strike | Journalists at the Guardian and the Observer in the UK are holding a 48-hour strike in protest at the proposed sale of the Observer newspaper to Tortoise Media. Guardian Australia and US staff are not part of the strike action.
Climbers missing on NZ mountain | Rescue teams looking for three climbers who went missing on Aoraki Mount Cook have expressed “grave concerns” over the party’s welfare in the rugged terrain, as bad weather hampers search efforts for the second day in a row.
Trump team agrees to background checks | After a weeks-long delay, Donald Trump’s transition team have signed an agreement to allow the US justice department to conduct background checks on his nominees and appointees. Meanwhile, Trump’s pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, Chad Chronister, has withdrawn from consideration.
Police fear missing woman fell into sinkhole | Authorities fear Elizabeth Pollard, 64, who has not been seen since she went looking for her cat on Monday, may have been swallowed up by a sinkhole that recently opened in a western Pennsylvania village.
In video
‘Clear end goal’ is to fully decriminalise and regulate all drugs, Harm Reduction Australia director says
An advocate at the NSW government’s drug summit has called for decriminalisation of small quantities of drugs for personal use with a “clear end goal” of legal regulation of all drugs. Dr Annie Madden, the executive director of Harm Reduction Australia, told the audience that it was “only reasonable that we give decriminalisation a proper chance to do what decades of prohibition has failed to do”.
What they said …
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“Our policy would make sure people can access the contraception that works for them, regardless of their bank balance and whether they live in the city, the country, or are studying on a visa.”
Larissa Waters announced the Greens’ new election policy to provide women with free access to contraceptives. Under the policy, women would not have to pay out of pocket for oral contraceptives or long-acting reversible contraceptives including intrauterine devices. The senator said the policy would help “empower women to make decisions about bodily autonomy despite a difficult financial climate”.
In numbers
The cap, worn by Bradman during the 1947-48 Test series against India, his last on home soil, fetched a new record price for a cap worn by the great batter. The cap was described by the auction house as “sun faded and worn”, with “some insect damage” and “some loss to edge of peak”.
Before bed read
Australian supermarket icy pole taste test: ‘I found one to spend the rest of my life with’
All 11 icy poles our judges crunched through could make do on a hot summer’s day – but one contender stunned Nicholas Jordan and his fellow taste testers.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: SHOO. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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