Good morning. A grim weekend in Gaza saw dozens killed in a single Israeli airstrike, with Doctors Without Borders describing the IDF’s renewed offensive in the area as “purely and simply a collective punishment”. Meanwhile in Washington, officials are urgently trying to establish how highly classified US intelligence about Israeli plans to attack Iran came to be leaked on social media.
At home, the Liberals are despondent after losing a byelection in a former heartland northern Sydney seat of Pittwater, there are rows over how to address the housing crisis continue and King Charles continues his Australian tour in Canberra – where a protest against the monarchy is planned this morning.
Australia
Queensland campaign | Liberal National party leader David Crisafulli (above) has promised to introduce “mandatory isolation periods” for children who assault workers in youth detention.
Teal triumph | Teal independent Jacqui Scruby, the likely winner of the NSW byelection in Pittwater, says the contest in the blue-ribbon seat has shown how strong candidates can encourage a “race to the top” in politics.
Housing crisis | David Pocock has called parts of Peter Dutton’s new $5bn housing policy “seriously regressive” as housing experts questioned whether it would saddle families on the fringes of cities with invisible costs.
Build bigger | The Business Council of Australia has called for a $10bn housing reform fund that will pay out to states that fix regulation and planning bottlenecks contributing to the supply crisis.
Relaxed royals | King Charles III did not linger long at a luncheon put on in his honour in Sydney, telling lawmakers the “sands of time” would encourage “brevity” and leaving before the first course.
World
Escalation threat | The US government is investigating an unauthorised release of top secret documents that assess Israel’s plans to attack Iran.
Elonwatch | Elon Musk says his Trump-supporting political action committee will give $1m every day until election day to someone who signs a petition that encourages Republicans in key states to register to vote. Meanwhile, Trump backers are defending his vulgar rhetoric at a Saturday rally where he called Harris a “shit president” and talked about a golfer’s penis.
War talk | Moscow’s ambassador to London has said the UK is waging a proxy war against Russia while predicting the “end of Ukraine” as Russian invading forces make deeper advances into the country.
Extreme methods | UK regulators have reprimanded a Scientology-linked addiction charity accused of putting vulnerable people through psychological drills that left them “traumatised” and in “trance-like states”.
Soft play | A children’s play centre in the UK has apologised after putting up Halloween decorations that resembled corpses wrapped in black plastic “body bags”.
Full Story
Bringing the blue whale back from the brink
Blue whales are the largest animals to have ever lived but they were once hunted to the brink of extinction. Scientists are using new methods to learn whether the number of blue whales in the wild is increasing – and they are seeing and hearing promising signs.
In-depth
The Liberal party suffered a humiliating defeat this weekend in the northern Sydney seat of Pittwater, with teal independent Jacqui Scruby (above) taking an almost insurmountable lead as the results came in. Ben Raue writes that her victory is another signal that the Liberals’ decline in what was once a stronghold is only continuing – and that while Scruby clearly benefited from Labor and the Greens clearing her path, the Liberals are in serious trouble on the northern beaches.
Not the news
The idea of “active transport” replacing car-centric city living used to be associated with worthy environmentalism, but as the climate crisis hots up and people’s lifestyles change, the mood is shifting. One expert arguing for radical car and cycling policies in Australia insists that “these are not ideas from radical-left Scandinavian pot-smoking greenies”.
The world of sport
Team effort | New Zealand’s team of self-styled cricket “grandmas” have won their country’s first global cricket trophy since 2000 (above), beating South Africa by 32 runs in a surprise T20 World Cup win.
Scalp damage | Australian boxing star Tim Tszyu has suffered a shock defeat in his heavily hyped IBF super welterweight title in Florida, demolished inside three rounds by undefeated Russian Bakhram Murtazaliev.
Top dog | Australian surf star Laura Enever, has been crowned female Surfer of the Year at the 2024 SURFER Big Wave Challenge awards in Nazaré, Portugal after slaying a record-breaking 13-metre wave.
Buzz off | Spain’s Marc Márquez has recovered from a nightmare start in which a mosquito infiltrated his visor to claim a sensational fifth Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix victory.
Media roundup
The Sydney Morning Herald takes a look at how hundreds of millions in funds meant for Australian startups went down the drain. The Herald Sun reports that whistleblowers at a Victoria hospital have raised the alarm after three babies died in just six weeks. The Australian reports that Queensland’s top union leader is warning of massive strikes if the new government doesn’t deliver more than $1bn in pay rises for public sector workers.
What’s happening today
Royals | An anti-monarchy protest is scheduled in Canberra this morning as the royals visit for the day.
Pushback | The first person from Gaza to challenge a cancelled visa will appear in federal court in Melbourne.
Payouts | A decision is due on compensation for 1,700 former Qantas workers illegally sacked during the pandemic.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
