Morning everyone. Anthony Albanese will no doubt be reflecting on the vagaries of political life today when he heads back from a successful diplomatic mission to China only to be confronted by a potentially dangerous political moment, with the Reserve Bank expected to hike rates again. We report today from Beijing on the prime minister’s attempts to reset relations with our regional superpower, and also on the growing financial hardship faced by many Australians in the face of higher rates. We’ve also got the latest from Donald Trump’s court testimony in his fraud trial; plus, what you can do to slow the ageing process.
Meanwhile, the UN’s secretary general has reiterated his call for a ceasefire in Gaza, a place he says is “becoming a graveyard for children”.
Australia
Exclusive | Seven sexual assault allegations against federal parliamentarians were investigated by federal police or referred to state and territory law enforcement in the year-and-a-half period after Brittany Higgins’ allegations first became public knowledge, Guardian Australia can reveal.
China reset | Anthony Albanese has declared that his landmark visit to Beijing was about “taking forward” Australia’s relationship with China, and has talked up the need to keep communications open with Beijing. His host, Xi Jinping, also spoke positively about relations and played along with Albanese’s efforts to cast the occasion as a reset alongside Gough Whitlam’s famous visit in 1973. Albanese raised sensitive trade and human rights issues but was guarded about Xi’s response. Here’s what we learned.
Skate away? | Tanya Plibersek has written to the Tasmanian government to flag that she may reconsider the approvals of decade-old salmon farms in Macquarie Harbour due to concern over their impact on the critically endangered Maugean skate.
Bets are off | Punters are switching off the Melbourne Cup, with a majority of people having little interest (27%) or no interest (35%), according to an Essential poll on what was once “the race that stops the nation”.
Greens test | A Brisbane Greens proposal to slap investors who hike rents with huge tax bills has been met with scepticism by economists and panned by the party’s political opponents.
World
‘Control your client’ | Donald Trump took the stand in a Manhattan federal courthouse overnight to make some incendiary comments about the court process. He claimed the civil fraud lawsuit was “worthless” and that the trial was a political “witch-hunt”, forcing the judge to tell Trump’s lawyer to “control your client”. Follow it live here.
Gaza City ‘encircled’ | The Israeli military says it has completely encircled Gaza City after more than a week of heavy fighting, severing the territory into two as the death toll among Palestinian civilians reaches 10,000. The UN secretary general called the situation in Gaza a “crisis of humanity”. Australia’s former prime minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Israel the world should not get “suckered into” supporting a ceasefire in Gaza.
Age defying | Keeping an eye on your weight, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure while eating healthily and doing regular physical activity may slow the ageing process by around six years, US experts say.
We used to Work | Shares in WeWork were suspended as Wall Street braced for the shared office space provider to file for bankruptcy.
‘People were cold’ | Barbra Streisand has discussed her early experiences with sexism, including an incident with Sydney Chaplin that contributed to years of stage fright, before the release of her new memoir.
Full Story
The legal minefield of exposing cheaters online
Senior reporter Tory Shepherd tells Laura Murphy-Oates about the online groups that are dedicated to exposing behaviour ranging from cheating to violence and abuse.
In-depth
Almost half of Australia’s mortgage holders would be in financial stress if the expected Melbourne Cup interest rate rise goes ahead today, according to economic modelling that concludes those borrowers will be paying at least 30% of their income to service their loans. At the same time, an Essential poll today shows that 22% of voters said interest rate rises were having a “very negative” impact on them.
Not the news
Abba’s songs are perhaps most commonly thought of as joyous celebrations of pure pop delight. But Joseph Earp finds a deep melancholia in hits such as Mamma Mia and I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, and knew where to turn for solace when leaving his share house and embarking on life on his own.
The world of sport
AFLW | Teams with little to no finals experience face the reigning premiers and three-time premiership sides in the AFLW finals – but no result is guaranteed in what should be the most unpredictable series ever.
Formula One | The Mercedes team has endured its “worst ever” weekend of competition at the Brazilian Grand Prix, the team boss has said, leaving them with their toughest test.
Cricket World Cup | Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews has made unwanted history after becoming the first player in international cricket to be “timed out” when he failed to adjust his helmet in time after going into bat against Bangladesh. His team lost, sending them out of the tournament.
Media roundup
The Australian carries a warning from economists that the Reserve Bank could hit borrowers with two rate hikes before Christmas. The Age reports on the family of three who were all killed in the Daylesford pub crash tragedy, while the Telegraph says the two young boys killed in a car crash in Sydney’s south-west were best mates.
What’s happening today
Pacific | The Pacific Islands Forum starts today in the Cook Islands.
Australian economy | The RBA board will meet and make a rate announcement at 2.30pm.
Sport | The Melbourne Cup runs at Flemington at 3pm.
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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.
