Morning, everyone. As leaders, lobbyists and the learned gather in Dubai for the start of the Cop28 climate summit today, the Albanese government will attempt to get on to the front foot in the debate. Chris Bowen will tell MPs today that global heating threatens political instability in the Pacific region and poses an existential threat to island nations.
Overseas there are continuing negotiations to extend the Gaza ceasefire, as Hamas claims that the youngest Israeli hostage, 10-month-old Kfir Bibas, was killed in an Israeli bombardment. And US prosecutors have released new evidence that an agent of the Indian government directed the attempted assassination of a US Sikh activist on US soil.
Oh, and one more thing – we’re proud and excited to announce our latest newsletter, The Crunch. Wait, what is The Crunch, you ask? Find out here.
Australia
Theatre apology | The Sydney Theatre Company has apologised after the resignation of one of its longstanding foundation board members over an on-stage pro-Palestinian protest by three of its actors.
Climate warning | The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, will tell parliament today that global heating remains a national security threat and will predict that countries vulnerable to sea level rise will look to Australia to provide “mobility with dignity”.
Labor pressure | The Albanese government is coming under increasing pressure from Labor members to take a stronger line on Gaza with about 40 party branches in NSW passing motions demanding a full ceasefire.
Abortion pills | Queensland will become the first jurisdiction to introduce a law to allow nurses and midwives to dispense pregnancy termination medication in a move expected to improve access in the state’s “huge abortion deserts”.
Privacy concern | The information commissioner refused to investigate the mining company Mecrus for allegedly accessing an employee’s personal emails, on the grounds the information was accessed on the employee’s work laptop.
World
Hostage ‘killed’ | Hamas says the youngest Israeli hostage, a 10-month-old boy, has been killed by Israeli bombardment along with his four-year-old brother and their mother. In the West Bank there are reports of casualties after a major Israeli incursion. And an 85-year-old hostage freed at the weekend says she saw Hamas’s leader while in captivity and told him he should be “ashamed of himself”.
Cop28 hopes | The president of the Cop28 talks – Dubai’s Sultan Al Jaber – thinks a deal to limit warming to just 1.5C is still alive. But he has also faced –and strongly denied – allegations about oil deals. The meat industry will be among the lobbyists gathering in Dubai and they plan to present their product as “sustainable nutrition”.
Sikh plot | US prosecutors have accused an agent of the Indian government of directing the attempted assassination of a US citizen on US soil, revealing new details about India’s alleged targeting of Sikh activists.
China illness | A surge in respiratory illnesses in China, particularly among children, appears to have worsened with paediatric units in city hospitals reportedly swamped.
Pence call | Mike Pence was reportedly shamed into opposing the January 6 plot to deny the 2020 election result after speaking to his son, a US marine.
Full Story
Geert Wilders and Europe’s lurch to the far right
Since winning the most seats in the Dutch election last week, Geert Wilders has been trying to form a government. How did the far-right politician do so well? Jon Henley and Senay Boztas report.
In-depth
A report has claimed that without the trend towards SUV ownership around the globe, car emissions would be more than 30% lower. To help work out what’s going on the Australian Automobile Association has carried out real-world tests on nine SUV models to see if their claims about fuel consumption are true or false.
Not the news
An affectionate father, an effusive friend and an audacious grump. These are among the personality traits revealed in a new collection of private letters and diaries written by Alex Miller, the man sometimes described as Australia’s best-loved writer. Sian Cain tracks down the 86-year-old and his wife, Steph, and hears him let loose on mental health, the Miles Franklin, and why a treaty with First Nations people is far more important than him getting an Australia Day honour (he turned one down).
The world of sport
AFLW | North Melbourne fans are in buoyant mood in the lead-up to the club’s first grand final for 24 years as they take on Brisbane on Sunday.
Football | Manchester United took on Galatasary in a crunch Champions League clash this morning. And Newcastle learned overnight that the video assistant referee who made the controversial penalty that denied them victory over Paris St-Germain yesterday has been stood down from his next match.
Rugby union | England’s captain, Owen Farrell, will miss the Six Nations tournament in the new year to “prioritise” his mental health.
Media roundup
The Sydney Morning Herald wonders how traffic planners have got their calculations so badly wrong amid chaos at the new Rozelle WestConnex interchange. The Herald Sun fears the centre of Melbourne is dying because it’s too hard to get to, too expensive and too inhospitable. The AFL will overhaul the national draft to force clubs to pay a fairer market rate to secure father-son or academy players, the Age reports. The Sydney Theatre Company cancelled a performance of The Seagull after ordering the actors to keep their pro-Palestine politics off the stage, the Australian reports.
What’s happening today
Cop28 | Chris Bowen will be making an annual climate statement as the international climate summit begins in Dubai.
Banking | An NAB executive talks about scams and the need to add “friction” back into payments.
NSW | A coronial verdict is due into the death of a man who died after being shot by police in a domestic violence dispute in northern 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.
