Good morning. Vanuatu is in a state of emergency this morning after yesterday’s earthquake killed at least six people, wrecked buildings and left much of the island nation’s key infrastructure out of action. We’re also looking at what the treasurer’s midyear economic update might say today, how much Australians are making when they sell their homes, the “manifesto” left by the Wisconsin school shooter and how British intelligence foiled a plot to kill the pope.
Australia
Protest wedge | The Victorian government has been accused of “shoehorning” new anti-protest measures that could be used to crack down on the climate movement into reforms touted as necessary to combat antisemitism.
Budget ‘slippage’ | The treasurer will highlight a $200bn improvement to the federal budget’s position in a midyear economic update today while acknowledging “slippage” caused by global uncertainty and unavoidable spending.
Property profit | Australians are making a record $295,000 median profit when reselling their property, despite slowing market conditions, a report from CoreLogic has revealed.
Hospitals ‘opt out’ | Public hospitals should not be able to “opt out of” providing abortions, according to the Greens MP Dr Amanda Cohn, who said “far too little has changed” since abortion was decriminalised in New South Wales five years ago.
Happy holidays | Australia is expected to welcome a record number of Chinese tourists this summer helped by new air routes and adding to what is already set to be a busy – and potentially chaotic – holiday period.
World
‘Many victims’ | A state of emergency has been declared in Vanuatu after a powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island yesterday, damaging many buildings in the capital Port Vila and killing at least six people while dozens were injured. Australia is sending “immediate assistance”.
Shooter ‘manifesto’ | The 15-year-old girl who police alleged killed a teacher, a student and wounded six others before dying by suicide at a school in Madison, Wisconsin, reportedly left a manifesto that investigators are now reviewing.
Moscow attack | Ukraine says it carried out the assassination of the Russian general in charge of the Kremlin’s chemical weapons program in a brazen attack using a bomb hidden in an electric scooter outside his home in Moscow. The attack cements the effecient reputation of the Ukrainian security services in administering its form of extrajudicial justice.
US justice fears | Donald Trump plans to appoint Harmeet Dhillon, a Maga loyalist, to run the justice department’s civil rights division, raising fears that she will axe hundreds of investigations into issues such as police misconduct and housing discrimination. It comes as a survey shows confidence in the country’s justice system is at a record low.
Divine intervention | Pope Francis has said he escaped a double suicide bombing during a visit to Iraq almost four years ago, after the attempts on his life were foiled by British intelligence and Iraqi police.
Full Story
Peter Dutton’s nuclear fantasy
Our climate and environment editor, Adam Morton, tells Nour Haydar why the Coalition’s costings for new nuclear power stations don’t stack up.
In-depth
Today we are telling the story of politics in 2024 through photographs. There’s Anthony Albanese meeting Jewish leaders, Lidia Thorpe delivering her rant at King Charles and Fatima Payman with her new crossbench colleagues. And we have Bob Katter as you’ve probably never seen him before – dressed in a pig suit.
Not the news
What could be more traditional than a Christmas mince pie? This month’s taste test has a distinctly festive feel as Nicholas Jordan enlists his family to rate the yuletide sweets on offer in the supermarkets. They conclude that the best of the bunch has a “big boozy aroma”, while the worst is a congealed mess. Find out which is which.
Sport
Cricket | The spectre of a follow-on turned the fourth day of the slumbering third Test into a gripping contest between Australia’s bowlers and India’s tail as the tourists frustrated the home side to reach 252-9 at the close.
NRL | Queensland’s deputy premier has called the $850 fine given to Broncos star Ezra Mam for drug driving without a licence “disgraceful”, saying it doesn’t “pass the pub test”.
Football | Real Madrid battled it out against Chelsea in the women’s Champions League this morning.
Media roundup
Psychiatrists in New South Wales are threatening to walk out in a pay dispute, according to the Daily Telegraph. Arden in North Melbourne is being pushed as the site for a 57-storey apartment block which is almost triple the approved height limit for the area, the Age reports. The NT News heard from excited shoppers lined up at a Coles in Palmerston for the chance of gift vouchers being given away by the “rewards club” billionaire Adrian Portelli.
What’s happening today
Education | Atar scores for NSW and Tasmania will be released.
Airlines | Qantas is set to pay compensation over the use of outsourced baggage handlers.
Sydney | First court appearance for Alan Jones on alleged historic sexual offences.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
