Good morning. A jobseeker whose Centrelink payments were suspended while he was in hospital recovering from brain surgery is calling for an overhaul to the way suspensions are handled. The Albanese government is mulling an overhaul of the employment services system following a damning parliamentary review that criticised the mutual obligations system.
Elsewhere, Hamas negotiators arrive for ceasefire talks in Cairo, and the Asio boss insists agencies don’t radicalise people after criticism of an undercover operation.
Australia
Centrelink | The Australian Council of Social Service says an “unconscionable” case in which a man hospitalised with a brain tumour had his payments stopped shows why a mutual obligations structure must be “replaced with a fair system” for jobseekers.
Radicalisation | The Asio chief insisted agencies “don’t radicalise people” but added that “dealing with minors is incredibly difficult” after court findings that criticised an undercover operation targeting a 13-year-old child with autism.
Tourism | Figures from Tourism Australia show 102,000 Chinese holidaymakers visited Australia in September 2023, down from 688,000 four years earlier. Guardian Australia examined why Chinese tourists are traveling elsewhere.
Politics | The CEO and director of the Bureau of Meteorology, Andrew Johnson, has revealed to staff the cost of its delayed IT overhaul – one of Australia’s most expensive ever.
Dunkley fallout | Anthony Albanese says the Liberal party lost Saturday’s byelection in Victoria because it ran a “very negative campaign” and was “dominated by blokes”.
World
Israel-Hamas war | A Hamas delegation is in Cairo for talks on efforts to broker a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, after indications that Israel had provisionally accepted a six-week phased hostage and truce deal before the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Meanwhile, an Israeli hostage told the Guardian about her experience.
MH370 | Families of passengers who were onboard the lost Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 called for a renewed search operation as they gathered ahead of the 10-year anniversary of its disappearance. Malaysia’s transport minister revealed he was meeting search company Ocean Infinity to discuss a new operation.
US election | Donald Trump confused Barack Obama for Joe Biden at a rally, triggering further questions about the age of the likely Republican presidential nominee who has made a string of such gaffes. Meanwhile, a majority of US voters believe Joe Biden is too old to be an effective president.
Pakistan politics | Shehbaz Sharif was appointed prime minister of Pakistan after a vote that was riddled with allegations of rigging and irregularities.
Song contest controversy | Israel has agreed to revise the lyrics of its Eurovision submission October Rain, after organisers took issue with lyrics that seemed to refer to Hamas’s 7 October attack.
Full Story
Have they found a cure for the tiredness epidemic?
There’s a lot of attention right now on nootropics, or brain boosters, with marketing is telling us these over-the-counter supplements will keep us awake and alert, and even improve the way our brains perform. But should we believe the hype? Guardian contributor Bianca Nogrady says it’s complicated.
In-depth
The comedian Hannah Gadsby spoke to Guardian Australia about their fourth Netflix special, an exercise in sharing the microphone that features seven comedians each with different experiences of gender, sexuality and how to get laughs.
The trans rights discussion is “just part of the broader culture wars – trans people are being held up as this wedge issue. It’s happened before, we know it’s wrong,” Gadsby says. “We always feel regret, culturally, after these moments – ‘Oh we were a bit harsh there weren’t we?’
“But these moral panics exist in a time of great uncertainty, which it is, and certain groups of individuals cop it. And that’s what’s happening, and that makes it very dangerous. And Australia isn’t immune.”
Not the news
The ability to work remotely can become a grind if you spend all day cooped up inside a small apartment. Thankfully, getting out of the house to find a workspace doesn’t have to cost money.
Guardian Australia reviews the best places to work for free in central Melbourne.
The world of sport
NRL | Rugby league may not be the world game (yet, writes Nick Tedeschi) but the NRL’s showcase event in Las Vegas, attended by 40,000 people, has proven it is capable of thriving on a global stage.
Premier League | Manchester City beat Manchester United 3-1.
Marathon | Eliud Kipchoge’s preparations for the Paris Olympics suffered a major blow as the greatest runner in history over 26.2 miles could only finish 10th in the Tokyo Marathon.
Media roundup
The Age reports that China’s leading spy agency was the organisation behind the sustained targeting of Australians detailed by the nation’s spy chief in his annual threat assessment. Peter Dutton will unveil a pre-budget nuclear power plan after the Dunkley byelection loss, according to the Australian. Grieving parents who have lost children at Queensland’s embattled maternity wards tell the Courier Mail that they have spent months begging for external reviews.
What’s happening today
Asean | The 50th anniversary of the leaders’ summit begins today in Melbourne.
Fire ants | Dangerous red fire ants will be placed under the microscope of a Senate committee examining efforts to eradicate the damaging invasive species.
Culture | Adelaide festival writers’ week runs until Thursday.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
