Morning everyone. The crisis sweeping the Middle East continued overnight as eight Israeli soldiers were killed in Lebanon, while dozens of people were killed in Gaza in ground raids and airstrikes by the Israel Defense Forces. Joe Biden said he would not support Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as the US sought to temper Israel’s response to Iran’s missile attack.
We also have the story of a senior ACT Liberal who wrote a school history book that glossed over the frontier wars. There’s evidence rents may have peaked, and Hobart’s symphony orchestra has a noisy neighbour problem.
Australia
Noisy neighbour | The $775m bid to bring an AFL team to Hobart could lead to crowd noise drowning out concerts by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra at its concert hall next door and even threaten its future existence, its CEO says.
‘God made a plan’ | Peter Cain, the ACT’s shadow attorney general, has apologised “wholeheartedly” for a 2002 workbook he wrote which does not mention the frontier wars and paints a rosy picture of how Christian settlers helped First Nations peoples.
Rent relief | Annual rent increases for houses have hit multi-year lows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, suggesting a relentless stretch of rising rents may have peaked, a new report has found.
Greens gambit | The Greens want to open 1,000 new health clinics nationwide with free medical and dental care, in a $54bn policy that the minor party says it would push in the event of a hung parliament.
Glider glimpse | A webcam from inside the tree hollow housing a family of greater gliders offers footage of scratching, grooming and cuddles between two resident adult gliders, and potentially a joey peeking out of its mother’s pouch.
World
Middle East crisis | Eight Israeli soldiers have been killed and a number of others wounded in three exchanges with Hezbollah in heavy fighting inside Lebanon. Iran is bracing itself for likely Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites but Joe Biden has said the US would not support such strikes. It comes after most of Israel’s defensive effort appears to have been undertaken by its own systems rather than relying on western help. In Gaza, more than 70 people have been killed in a series of Israeli attacks and in Europe, hand grenades were thrown near the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen (pictured) and shots were fired at the Israeli embassy in Stockholm.
Vance edge | Post-debate polls show JD Vance edged the vice-presidential debate over Tim Walz yesterday, while Democrats fear a triple threat to Kamala Harris from the Middle East crisis, the aftermath of the deadly Hurricane Helene and dockworker strikes.
Spain’s pain | Spain logged a record 21.8 million international visitors this northern summer during a period when anti-tourism protests spread across the country.
Haitian hell | Half of all Haitians are struggling every day to find food as rampant gang violence and lawlessness are causing “the worst hunger emergency in the western hemisphere”, a report has found.
Bank withdrawal | A man and woman have reportedly been fired from their jobs at the Vatican bank because they flouted a ban on marriage between employees.
Full Story
‘We are terrorised’ on the ground in Beirut
The Lebanese journalist Chérine Yazbeck tells Nour Haydar how Hezbollah supporters have responded to the assassination of its leader Hassan Nasrallah, and why she won’t leave Lebanon despite living in fear for her life.
In-depth
Tim Winton’s new novel, Juice, follows an unnamed narrator in a dystopian future Australia that has been devastated by climate change and dogged by dust storms, cyclones and fires. It is the culmination of seven years of work by the celebrated writer and he talks to Sian Cain about what drove him to tackle “a big, abstract, wicked problem”, annoying comparisons with Cormac McCarthy, and why he still has hope for the future.
Not the news
From the American late-night host Norm Macdonald to standups Bill Burr and Gary Gulman, Daniel Muggleton chooses the 10 funniest things he’s ever seen on the internet.
The world of sport
Dally M | Jahrome Hughes has become the first Kiwi halfback to win the Dally M medal in 32 years, while Roosters forward Olivia Kernick took the women’s gong. And Jarome Luai, the most misunderstood man in the NRL, is determined his final Panthers game ends in a fourth grand final win.
Tennis | Carlos Alcaraz ended Jannik Sinner’s winning run to take the China Open title in Beijing after another pulsating encounter between the two young stars. Watch the highlights here.
Football | Aston Villa take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League while Liverpool host Bologna.
Media roundup
Visa applications from international students have plummeted after the federal reset on numbers, the Age reports. Victoria has fallen behind other states in new company starts with business figures blaming high taxation, according to the Fin Review. A “triple whammy” of whooping cough, flu and RSV is hitting South Australia, bringing warnings for the sick to stay at home, the Advertiser reports. A rarely seen thresher shark has washed ashore on a beach at Shoalhaven on the New South Wales south coast, the Daily Telegraph reports.
What’s happening today
Queensland | State election leadership debate on Nine Network at 7.30pm.
Economy | New vehicle sales data for September released at 12pm.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
