Morning, everyone. Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, fought back tears as she paid tribute to the two police officers shot dead in an ambush at a remote property west of Brisbane yesterday afternoon. Police later shot and killed two men and a woman after a siege at the property. A member of the public also died in the standoff which Anthony Albanese described as “heartbreaking”. A major investigation is under way, police said in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
In other news, two out of five Australians think their standard of living will be better next year than it has been this, our latest polling suggests, and One Nation is on track to get its first Victorian MP as the state’s complex upper house votes are finally calculated.
Australia
Poll optimism | Australians are bracing for more higher prices in the shops, more expensive power bills and increased interest rates in the year ahead, but 40% of Guardian Essential poll respondents think 2023 will be better than 2022.
Wieambilla shooting | Police in Queensland are mourning the death of two colleagues shot dead in an ambush at a property at Wieambilla about 270km west of Brisbane. Two other officers were injured. Police later shot and killed three people at the site.
Passport problem | Government figures show almost 20% of priority passport applications are not being finalised on time despite people paying an extra $225 to jump the queue.
Gas ‘bullies’ | Energy users and the former boss of the competition watchdog have applauded the Albanese government for staring down the “bullies of the gas industry” with its plan to cap energy bills.
Victorian election | One Nation’s Rikkie-Lee Tyrell is on track to win a seat in Victoria’s upper house to become the party’s first MP south of the Murray.
World
UK strikes | Six hundred British military personnel are being trained to drive ambulances ahead of an expected strike by health and public sector workers this month. Rail services are expected to be widely disrupted by a walkout on Tuesday.
Capitol claim | The far-right US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has bragged that had she and the former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon been in charge of organising the insurrection at the US Capitol, the violent crowd would have won, and everyone in it “would’ve been armed”.
EU corruption | Belgian police have searched European parliament offices as part of a growing investigation into alleged bribery and corruption, which local media have linked to Qatar.
Russia politics | The Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was released by the US in a prisoner exchange for the basketball star Brittney Griner, has joined a far-right nationalist political party.
Iran execution | Iran has publicly hanged a man accused of killing two members of the security forces in its second use of capital punishment against anti-government protesters.
Full Story
The far-right radical in Israel’s new government
Bethan McKernan explains how Itamar Ben-Gvir, a man once considered too extreme to serve in the Israeli army, has ended up as minister for national security, after his party, Jewish Power, made considerable gains in last month’s election.
In-depth
The network of EV charging stations across rural NSW is expanding thanks to a $39m government scheme to encourage uptake but it hasn’t gone down well with everyone. We went to check out a new multibay site about to open in the New England town immortalised in the Peter Allen song, Tenterfield Saddler.
Not the news
Once something of a fringe condiment, hot sauce is finding the wider popularity and craft status to make it a suitably hot commercial proposition. Australian producers are finding their place in the growing market, with one likening the contours of the market to “profiling wine”.
The world of sport
Cricket | Josh Hazlewood is out of the series-opening Test against South Africa starting on Saturday as he continues to recover from a side strain, but the captain, Pat Cummins, is likely to return.
Football | The A-Leagues’ decision to sell the rights of the grand finals to the NSW government has sparked anger among fans.
Pakistan v England | Mark Wood blew through Pakistan either side of lunch to claim a nervy 26-run win in the second Test and a famous series victory.
Media roundup
The Sydney Morning Herald says Shell has suspended its role in a “landmark gas supply deal” in response to the Albanese government’s plan to cap fossil fuel prices. The Australian reports that Christian Dior has been ordered to release funds it holds in the name of the con artist Melissa Caddick and details about her spending habits at the fashion house. The Courier-Mail warns that a large storm is “barrelling towards the south-east” of the state, bringing heavy rain and high winds. The NT News says that after months of talks, “burnt-out” territory teachers are about to get a pay rise.
What’s happening today
Search questioned | A class action has been launched in NSW by people who were invasively and unlawfully strip-searched by police at music festivals.
Cavoodle case | The Sydney barrister Gina Edwards is suing Nine Network for defamation over an A Current Affair story about the alleged theft of an Insta-famous cavoodle.
Bomb sentence | Two brothers who went on a bombing spree targeting portaloos, cars and a washing machine will be sentenced in Melbourne.
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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.
