Good afternoon. Australia is among nations “paralysed” in its response to the Gaza crisis, a UN representative said in a speech at the National Press Club.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory, said the world was “staring into the abyss while Palestinians face the most significant existential threat”.
Israel’s foreign minister, Eli Cohen, acknowledged the growing international pressure for a ceasefire, estimating that Israel has a “diplomatic window” of two to three weeks before pressure on the country seriously begins to increase. And Joe Biden has said the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza “must be protected” and called for “less intrusive action” by Israeli forces.
Read this Guardian editorial saying that a ceasefire is “long overdue”, and this comment piece on the need to understand the history of racism and antisemitism in the context of this conflict.
Top news
Veteran MP Russell Broadbent quits Liberal party | The member for Monash will remain in parliament as an independent after losing Liberal pre-selection for the next election. Mary Aldred, a government relations executive at Fujitsu, will contest the seat for the Liberals at the next election.
Commonwealth Bank records $2.5bn quarterly profit | The bank is the latest of the big four to announce a large profit on the back of higher interest rates.
Consumer confidence takes a hit | Nearly 40% of consumers plan to spend less on gifts than last year, a survey found, as consumer confidence falls in response to the latest interest rate rise from the RBA.
Climate hunger strike in front of Parliament House | Gregory Andrews has been on a hunger strike in a protest over the lack of serious climate action. Today is day 13. The independent MP Sophie Scamps met with Andrews on the front lawns for a talk this morning.
Queensland criticises federal government’s infrastructure cuts | The Queensland premier is vowing to muscle up to the prime minister over a proposed change to infrastructure funding that would put more pressure on state budgets. Meanwhile, Melbourne airport is urging the federal government not to scale back or cancel a proposed airport rail link.
Former 2GB radio host Roman Butchaski missing in crocodile territory | An air and land search is continuing after the former radio host and angler Roman Butchaski went missing near crocodile-filled waters in far-north Queensland at the weekend. Butchaski, better known as “Butch”, has been missing since Sunday after he went on a solo fishing trip at Olive River, a remote waterway along the Cape York peninsula.
Breads and cereals are good for your health | Some ultra-processed foods increase the risk of developing cancer, heart disease and diabetes – but others are good for you, new research into the demonised foodstuffs suggests. Bread and cereals actually reduce risk of those diseases – because they contain fibre – despite also being ultra-processed foods, the researchers concluded.
Mexico’s first openly non-binary magistrate found dead at home | Authorities are looking into Jesús Ociel Baena’s cause of death as activists urge a full investigation into gender identity-related threats.
Nepal to ban TikTok | The Nepalese government says the popular video-sharing platform is having a negative effect on “social harmony” and “disrupts family structures”.
Full Story
Inside the Optus crash
What does the Optus outage mean for the company’s reputation? Click here to listen to this 20-minute episode.
What they said …
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“I am more worried for America today than I was on January 6. For all the reasons that we know, his election would be catastrophic for America’s democracy.” – Michael Luttig, retired US judge
The conservative former judge is battling to stop a Trump victory in next year’s US presidential elections.
In numbers
Just over a quarter (27%) think we should “actively support the US” and 6% say we should actively support China, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll.
Before bed read
Barry Manilow, whose parade of high-spirited hits from Copacabana to Mandy made him one of pop music’s most beloved showmen, has spoken out in detail about the support of the secret lover who later became his husband.
The Brooklyn-born singer, 80, revealed how Garry Kief, the star’s manager, whom he finally married in 2014 after a clandestine relationship lasting more than 35 years, “saved my life” during his rise to peak fame in the late 1970s.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: PORE. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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