Morning Mail: death toll climbs in Middle East; spotlight on power of fossil fuel lobby; Australia lose World Cup opener
Middle East #MiddleEast
Good morning. The Israeli death toll from a Hamas attack on the country has risen to at least 700, with families searching for hostages and the missing, while at least 413 have been killed in Gaza. We have extensive coverage including a live blog with the latest.
Back home there have been claims that the former Western Australia premier Mark McGowan put pressure on the independent Environmental Protection Authority to withdraw climate guidelines opposed by gas companies. This is evidence of the fossil fuel industry’s “ownership” of the state, according to senior Labor party and non-profit figures.
And Australia has made a disappointing start to the men’s cricket World Cup, with India cruising to a comfortable win after a nervous first few overs.
AustraliaFireworks explode over the Opera House. Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images
Opera House | From Hugh Jackman’s black eye to “benevolent” ghosts in the back seats, tour guides, security staff and stage managers guide us through five decades underneath the white sails of the Sydney Opera House.
Energy | Bill Hare of the non-profit organisation Climate Analytics says allegation about Mark McGowan’s 2019 phone call to the EPA chairman showed decision-making in WA had been “captured” by oil and gas interests.
Exclusive | The Queensland health minister has called on the federal government to consider scrapping restrictions that prevent most gay and bisexual men from donating blood.
Education | Almost half of all parents with children in Australia’s private schools would consider moving them to the public system if it was better resourced, a new survey shows.
Groundwater damage | Large flows of pollution are reaching the Great Barrier Reef after soaking into underground water, new research shows.
WorldA man stands near a burned car after a battle between Israeli troops and Hamas militants in Sderot, Israel. Photograph: Amir Levy/Getty ImagesFull StoryBriggs in Shepparton. Photograph: Nadir Kinani/The Guardian
‘We don’t want your backyard’: Briggs on why he’s campaigning for yes
Laura Murphy-Oates reports from the Now and Forever concert in the regional Victorian town of Shepparton. She speaks to the Yorta Yorta rapper Adam Briggs about why he is advocating for a yes vote and about the power of comedy and community to counter misinformation.
Full Story‘We don’t want your backyard’: Briggs on why he’s campaigning for yes – Full Story podcast
Sorry your browser does not support audio – but you can download here and listen $https://audio.guim.co.uk/2023/10/08-27497-FS_SHEPPARTON.mp3
In-depthPabai Pabai and Paul Kabai looking out from Boigu Island in Torres Strait. Photograph: Talei Elu/Grata fund/AFP/Getty Images
The world’s first climate change class action saw Australia’s federal court travel to the Torres Strait to hear arguments on the frontline. Isabelle Reinecke joined the judicial visit to the country’s northernmost inhabited point, the low-lying Boigu Island, where it was confronted by the sea’s undeniable warming – and guided through the case by traditional owners whose action could end up protecting all Australians from the climate crisis.
Not the newsA brown bear in the US. Photograph: Design Pics Inc/Alamy
For a couple of months each summer, a stark mountain landscape in north-west Wyoming becomes a high-calorie buffet for hundreds of grizzly bears, which each feast on up to 40,000 moths – known as “bear butter” – every day.
But, perhaps predictably, humans traveling to watch the spectacle are getting in the way.
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The world of sportIndia’s KL Rahul celebrates with Hardik Pandya after beating Australia in Chennai. Photograph: Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty Images
A poll in the Sydney Morning Herald has 56% of those surveyed rejecting the voice yes vote, despite a late gain for the campaign. The Australian’s Newspoll also puts the yes campaign a long way behind. In the Canberra Times, Israeli and Palestinian communities in the capital speak of the race to contact family and friends as the Israel-Hamas war exploded. The Palestinian Authority said Australia’s response to the Hamas attack was disappointing, the Age reports.
What’s happening today
New Zealand elections | If you’re a New Zealander abroad who has visited the country in the past six years, you can easily vote before the 14 October election, either online or – in many cities – in person. As one of the Guardian’s New Zealand reporters, I’ve written about the expected rightwing direction of the next government, which could draw a line under the Jacinda Ardern era of politics for good.
Rugby World Cup | Fiji v Portugal is under way – follow our coverage.
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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.