Morning everyone. Pakistan risks further political turmoil after the former prime minister and cricket legend Imran Khan was wounded – but not seriously – in an apparent assassination attempt overnight. Khan, who was ousted from power earlier in the year, was rallying support in the country’s east when his convoy came under fire, sparking protests by his supporters all over the country. Cyberspace has become a “battleground” and is “increasingly the domain of warfare”, according to the Australian Signals Directorate, which also warns about the threat from sophisticated “state-based actors”. And federal treasurer Jim Chalmers has promised to unveil his plan to help households with energy bills by Christmas.
Australia
Cyber cost | Cybercrime is posing an increasing threat to Australian businesses with incidents up by 13% to 76,000 in a year. These threats are imposing an increasingly heavy cost on businesses, with the average loss per incident rising by 14% to $39,000 for a small business and $62,000 for a large enterprise.
Energy price plan | Jim Chalmers says the government intends to have a plan for Australia’s rising energy prices before Christmas as he was bombarded with questions about the economy in a solo appearance on the ABC’s Q&A last night.
Locked in | The number of women being jailed is growing faster than men and the annual cost of the prison system will reach $7bn a year by 2030 due to higher incarceration rates.
Defence spending | Two former defence leaders are being paid close to $800,000 combined to carry out a review of Australia’s military capabilities for the Albanese government.
Flooding fear | The Lachlan River in New South Wales’s central west could peak at its highest level since 1952 today after heavy rain brought more flood warnings and evacuation orders. Further east, one man was found dead in flood waters in the Southern Tablelands.
World
Pakistan | Supporters of Imran Khan have gathered outside the hospital in Lahore where the former PM is recovering in hospital after being shot in the foot by a would-be assassin. An unidentified guman has been arrested but no group has claimed the attack on the Khan, who has been calling for snap elections.
Exclusive | A firm co-owned by Australian lobbyist Lynton Crosby led a secretive campaign to influence elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in exchange for millions of dollars from a mining company, leaked documents suggest.
Maga news | Arizona anchorwoman Kari Lake has become the new face of Maga Republicanism as she runs neck and neck with her Democrat opponent to be the state’s next governor. Check out our coverage of the US midterm elections here.
UK economic woe | The Bank of England says Britain is in a “prolonged recession” as it raised interest rates by 0.75 percentage points to 3% – the biggest in decades.
‘Greenwashing’ | Most plastics marketed as “home compostable” don’t actually work, with as much as 60% failing to disintegrate after six months, according to research in the UK.
Full Story
The political cost of an economic crisis
Interest rates and inflation are rising, real wages are falling and Australians are struggling to make ends meet. Lenore Taylor and Mike Ticher talk about the political risks of these troubled times.
In-depth
The working-from-home revolution has been a boon for many Australians. But they could lose hundreds of dollars a year in tax deductions under changes planned by the ATO. Workers would face either lower deductions for items such as internet and electricity expenses, or much more paperwork to prove their usage. Separate analysis by Guardian Australia shows richer areas are more likely to have people working from home.
Not the news
The Head On photography festival begins in Sydney with exhibitions, workshops and panel discussions from more than 600 artists at indoor and outdoor locations across the city. You can see some of the best work here.
The world of sport
T20 World Cup| Australia will be wary of pushing too hard to improve their run rate when they face Afghanistan tonight with a semi-final place on the line, while Pakistan kept their hopes alive by beating South Africa.
Netball | The Diamonds completed a clean sweep of three victories against England in Brisbane last night thanks to shooting star Donnell Wallam.
Paris target | After a string of improved results, the Wallabies are targeting rare back-to-back wins when they play France in Paris this weekend.
Media roundup
The Australian has an interview with Anthony Albanese in which he says that “fragile” western democracy is under threat from political extremism. The Sydney Morning Herald reports on the claim by police that the foster mother of William Tyrrell knows the location of the three-year-old boy missing since 2014. Services Australia must review its hiring process after 11 promotions were overturned, the Canberra Times says. The West Australian reports the state’s Covid emergency has ended after 963 days with a number of pandemic measures scrapped.
What’s happening today
Qantas quiz | Qantas bosses could face some tough questions from shareholders at the airline’s AGM in Sydney today.
Rate reveal | The Reserve Bank will shed more light on the direction of interest rates when it releases its quarterly statement on monetary policy.
Cricket crunch | We’ll have live coverage of Australia’s vital T20 World Cup match against Afghanistan in Adelaide starting at 7pm AEDT.
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Bored?
And finally, 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.
• The main photograph on this story was updated on 4 November 2022 to show Imran Khan after the shooting on 3 November 2022. It previously depicted Imran Khan lying on a stretcher after a previous assassination attempt.
