Good morning. Labor is looking to seize the initiative on migration, with a new strategy to overhaul what the government says is Australia’s “broken” temporary migration program. It aims to crack down on the use of student visas as a “back door” entry for employers looking to import low-skilled workers into Australia.
In Gaza, winter is coming quickly. Almost all healthcare has collapsed, and rain storms and powerful winds are threatening to make an already catastrophic situation even worse as Israel’s ground offensive continues.
Leaders at Cop28 are being told to embrace compromise as an impasses threatens to derail the climate summit’s final meetings – and Australia’s Chris Bowen has called for the end of fossil fuels use. Plus: Radical libertarian Javier Milei has been sworn in as Argentina’s new president.
Australia
Annastacia Palaszczuk | The outgoing Queensland premier spent her entire political career being underestimated but took people by surprise one last time with her retirement announcement. Who now can replace her?
New migration strategy | Labor is seeking to overhaul Australia’s temporary migration program with changes to student and skilled worker visas it says are needed to address exploitation.
‘Language is a living thing’ | The First Nations tongue Wiradjuri is considered critically endangered by Unesco but it’s now the second-most spoken language in Cowra and is being taught in rural NSW schools.
Flexible schooling | Flexible school hours became front-page news when Queensland allowed schools to apply to change their hours. But what do the families involved think?
World
Israel-Hamas war | People across Gaza are dreading the onset of winter as the threat of disease rises amid overcrowded and unsanitary conditions; The UN chief, António Guterres, vows to go on seeking a ceasefire despite the US veto; Joe Biden is under scrutiny after bypassing Congress to supply tank shells to Israel.
Cop28 summit | The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, has told Cop28 talks overnight that the world must “face this fact head on: if we are to keep 1.5C alive, fossil fuels have no ongoing role to play in our energy systems”. The summit’s president, Sultan Al Jaber, has urged nations to be flexible in final meetings amid an impasse over whether to phase out or phase down fossil fuels.
Javier Milei | Argentina’s new president has vowed to lead his country out of decades of “decadence and decline” as a who’s who of the global far right assembled to celebrate his inauguration.
Exclusive | Human rights groups are investigating a death at a Del Monte pineapple farm in Kenya after a man’s body was found in a dam last month, amid allegations of brutality by security guards.
Mahsa Amini | Iran has blocked the family of the Kurdish-Iranian woman, whose death in custody sparked protests, from travelling to France to receive the EU’s top human rights prize on her behalf.
Full Story
Behind Australia’s pro-Palestine protests
Around Australia, pro-Palestine protests against the Israel-Hamas war are growing, with sit-ins, school strikes, vigils and weekly mass demonstrations – some of which are attracting tens of thousands of people. Organisers say it is an anti-war movement calling for peace but there are concerns the rallies are stirring unrest. Mostafa Rachwani and Laura Murphy-Oates go behind the scenes to find out what is driving this movement.
In-depth
The Albanese government is reducing Australia’s migrant intake as it seeks to make inroads to easing the population and housing squeeze. It’s clear the home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, and the immigration minister, Andrew Giles, are seizing the levers they have to restrict what the migration strategy describes as “back doors and side doors” into Australia. Paul Karp says it won’t silence Peter Dutton but Labor is moving to back away from the feared Big Australia.
Not the news
The small but prolific Australian children’s publishing industry produced many books of windows and mirrors this year. From picture books to young adult novels and nonfiction, one teacher-librarian picks her favourite Australian reads for children from the past 12 months. Her list was heavily influenced by one thing: which 2023 books by Australian creators were regularly requested by the children in her life?
The world of sport
Football | Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs bounce back into form with 4-1 win over Newcastle; Manchester City’s quickfire double seals a comeback win against Luton; Arsenal blow the WSL race wide open with victory over Chelsea.
Basketball | LeBron James was named MVP as the LA Lakers outmuscled the Indiana Pacers to win the first NBA Cup in-season tournament.
Boxing | Regis Prograis was outclassed by Devin Haney in their world title fight – but by showing his humanity he looked more like a champion than ever.
Media roundup
Australia’s high commissioner to the UK says “sensitivities” about marking Australia Day informed his decision to cancel an annual fundraiser gala in London run by the not-for-profit Australia Day Foundation, the Age reports. A mysterious tower in the United Arab Emirates desert contains the solar thermal technology that could help Australia meet its renewable energy ambitions, the ABC reports.
What’s happening today
Bruce Lehrmann | The trial of the former political staffer’s defamation claim against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson continues.
Exams results | Students in Victoria will get their VCE scores.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here. And finish your day with a three-minute snapshot of the day’s main news. Sign up for our Afternoon Update newsletter here.
Prefer notifications? If you’re reading this in our app, just click here and tap “Get notifications” on the next screen for an instant alert when we publish every morning.
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.
Contact us
If you have a story tip or technical issue viewing this newsletter, please reply to this email.
If you are a Guardian supporter and need assistance with regards to contributions and/or digital subscriptions, please email customer.help@guardian.co.uk
