Shigeru Ishiba, Japan’s newly elected prime minister, forms Cabinet with emphasis on defense – The Associated Press

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  1. Shigeru Ishiba, Japan’s newly elected prime minister, forms Cabinet with emphasis on defense  The Associated Press
  2. Japan's new PM Ishiba unveils cabinet ahead of snap election  Reuters
  3. Japanese parliament confirms Ishiba as new PM  Al Jazeera English
  4. What Japan’s New Prime Minister Means for the US  POLITICO
  5. A party’s seven-decade dominance raises concerns for Japan’s democracy  The Washington Post
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Australia financially assisting some citizens to leave Lebanon as Israel launches ground incursion

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It is thought there are 15,000 Australians in Lebanon, and plans for an emergency evacuation have been in place for months

The federal government is understood to be financially assisting some Australians in Lebanon to leave the country as part of an escalated bid to expatriate citizens as Israel begins a ground incursion.

Guardian Australia understands Beirut-Rafic Hariri international airport – the only operational commercial airport in Lebanon – remains open and both Australian passport and visa holders were being assisted on to flights by diplomatic staff. An estimated 15,000 Australians are in Lebanon.

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Israeli Forces Conduct Operations in Lebanon After Crossing Border Overnight – The Wall Street Journal

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  1. Israeli Forces Conduct Operations in Lebanon After Crossing Border Overnight  The Wall Street Journal
  2. Israel begins ground incursion in southern Lebanon  CNN
  3. Israeli military orders evacuation of several Lebanese communities near the border  The Associated Press
  4. Israel Launches Invasion Into Southern Lebanon: Live Updates and News  The New York Times
  5. Israeli Special Forces Launch Raids Into Lebanon Ahead of Expected Ground Incursion  The Wall Street Journal
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School bus catches fire outside Bangkok and more than 20 are feared dead, officials say – The Associated Press

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  1. School bus catches fire outside Bangkok and more than 20 are feared dead, officials say  The Associated Press
  2. As many as 25 children, teachers feared killed in Thai school bus blaze  UPI News
  3. 25 feared dead after school bus catches fire in Thailand  NBC News
  4. Multiple deaths in school bus fire in Thailand: PM  Yahoo! Voices
  5. School bus catches fire outside Bangkok and 25 on board are feared dead, government officials say  New York Post
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Controversial Queensland mayor labels Steven Miles’ move to oust him a ‘political hit job’

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Premier issues show cause notice to Troy Thompson as investigation into the Townsville mayor’s military service record continues

The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, has launched an 11th hour bid to stand down controversial north Queensland mayor Troy Thompson as the Labor state government enters caretaker mode and faces an uphill state reelection campaign.

Miles’ office confirmed on Tuesday it had sent a show cause to the Townsville mayor.

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Woman killed in NT town’s second suspected DV death since July

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Emergency services unable to save 22-year-old after responding to reports of a distressed man in Katherine on Monday night

A woman has been killed in a suspected domestic violence assault in the Northern Territory.

Emergency services found the 22-year-old after responding to reports of a distressed man on O’Shea Terrace in Katherine on Monday night.

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In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org

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Burke accuses Dutton of trying to ‘throw kerosene’ on public debate over Middle East

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Home affairs minister says he will cancel visas of people waving Hezbollah flags at rallies as experts point to nuanced community perspectives on group

The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, has accused Peter Dutton of seeking to “raise the temperature” of public debate over conflict in the Middle East, after protests on the weekend included some people holding the Hezbollah flag.

The opposition leader on Monday suggested parliament should be recalled to enact new anti-terror laws that would cover such actions, if it was not already illegal.

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I chose freedom over justice, Julian Assange says in first comments after detention – Reuters

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  1. I chose freedom over justice, Julian Assange says in first comments after detention  Reuters
  2. Julian Assange says he pleaded ‘guilty to journalism’ to secure his freedom in first public remarks since leaving prison  CNN
  3. 'Isolation has taken its toll': Julian Assange in his first public appearance since his release from a UK prison  ABC News
  4. ‘I Pled Guilty To Journalism’: Julian Assange’s First Public Address Since Release From Prison  Forbes
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Former human rights lawyer admits fraud over Iraq war claims

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Phil Shiner sought up to £200,000 of legal aid funding to represent clients including Khuder Al-Sweady

The former human rights lawyer Phil Shiner has pleaded guilty to fraud charges linked to claims made against Iraq war veterans.

Shiner, 67, appeared at Southwark crown court on Monday and pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA). He will be sentenced on 2 December.

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Israeli military says it is carrying out ‘limited’ ground operation targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon

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IDF says it has launched raids on villages close to the border ‘that pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities’, as Lebanon says Israeli strikes have killed 95 people in past 24 hours

The Israeli military has begun a “limited, localised and targeted” ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, it has said, as it continued shelling areas close to the border and carrying out airstrikes on the capital, Beirut.

“The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] began limited, localised, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon,” the military said in a statement on X early on Tuesday.

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